UC-NRLF 


Donated  to 

LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


A    PRELIMINARY    CATALOG 


OF  THE 


BIRDS   OF  MISSOURI 


BY 


OTTO     WIDMANN 


ST.  LOUIS,  MO. 
1907 

LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
PAVIS 


A  PRELIMINARY  CATALOG  OF  THE  BIRDS  OF 
MISSOURI* 

OTTO  WIDMANN. 
I.    INTRODUCTION. 

The  need  of  a  list  of  the  birds  of  Missouri  has  become  more  and 
more  apparent  as  the  popularization  of  Nature  Study  has  made 
progress  during  the  last  few  years.  Nearly  all  the  northern 
states  have  published  for  many  years  lists  and  revised  lists,  but 
this  is  the  first  attempt  in  our  state.  It  is  based  chiefly  on 
personal  observations  made  during  the  last  thirty  years.  Other 
sources  of  information  of  which  I  was  able  to  avail  myself  are 
comparatively  few  and  very  little  has  ever  been  published.  To 
those  gentlemen  who  were  kind  enough  to  favor  me  with  their 
notes  I  would  here  express  my  thanks.  They  are:  Mr.  Vernon 
Bailey  of  Washington,  D.  C.,  who  visited  Stone  Co.  in  1892  for  a 
short  time;  Mr.  Roger  N.  Baldwin  of  St.  Louis;  Mr.  James  New- 
ton Baskett  of  Mexico,  Mo.,  the  author  of  the  Story  of  the  Birds; 
Mr.  John  A.  Bryant  of  Kansas  City;  Mr.  B.  F.  Bush  of  Courtney, 
Mo.;  Mr.  Edmonde  Samuel  Currier  of  Keokuk,  la.,  who  kept 
very  good  records  of  the  birds  of  his  vicinity  including  parts  of 
Clark  Co.,  Mo.,  for  more  than  twelve  years  prior  to  his  removal  to 
Oregon  in  1903;  Dr.  Aug.  F.  Eimbeck  and  his  brother,  Mr. 
Charles  L.  Eimbeck,  of  New  Haven,  Mo.,  the  owners  of  fine  col- 
lections of  mounted  birds  made  in  Warren  and  Franklin  Co. 
during  the  last  forty  years;  Mr.  Ben  True  Gault  of  Glen  Ellyn, 
111.,  who  has  twice  collected  in  parts  of  southern  Missouri,  mainly 
in  Dunklin  and  Reynolds  Co. ;  Mr.  Julius  Hurter,  Sr.,  of  St.  Louis, 
whose  collection  of  mounted  birds  of  the  neighborhood  of  St. 
Louis  is  now  in  Washington  University;  Mr.  John  D.  Kas- 
tendieck  of  Billings,  Christian  Co.,  the  owner  of  a  large  and  fine 
collection  of  mounted  birds  taken  in  his  vicinity  during  the  last 
forty  years;  Mr.  Adolf  Lange  of  Leaven  worth,  Kan.,  whose  collec- 
tion of  birds  contains  specimens  taken  on  the  Missouri  side ;  Mr. 

*  Presented  to  The  Academy  of  Science  of  St.  Louis,  May  21,  1906. 

(1) 


2  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

John  S.Marley  of  Kansas  City,  Mo.;  Dr.  Walter  Mills  of  Webster 
Groves,  Mo.;  Mr.  H.  Nehrling,  the  author  of  "Die  Nord-Ameri- 
kanische  Vogelwelt"  and  "Our  Birds  of  Song  and  Beauty,"  who 
lived  at  Freistatt  near  Pierce  City,  Lawrence  Co.,  from  October 
1882  to  April  1887;  Mr.  Edgar  M.  Parker  of  Montgomery  City, 
Mo.;  Mr.  Otho  C.  Poling  of  Quincy,  111.;  Mr.  Wm.  E.  Praeger, 
who,  when  living  at  Keokuk,  la.,  often  visited  Missouri  soil  on 
his  ornithological  excursions;  Mr.  F.  C.  Pellett  of  Salem,  Mo.; 
Mr.  C.  W.  Prier  of  Appleton  City,  Mo. ;  Dr.  G.  C.  Rinker  of  Union- 
ville;  Mr.  Walter  Giles  Savage  of  Monteer,  Shannon  Co.,  formerly 
of  Jasper,  Jasper  Co.;  Mr.  Frank  Schwarz  of  St.  Louis;  Mr.  Philo 
W.  Smith,  Jr.  of  St.  Louis,  an  ardent  collector  of  eggs  for  many 
years  in  different  parts  of  the  state,  bringing  together  one  of  the 
most  complete  collections  of  North  American  birds'  eggs  in  the 
United  States;  Mr.  A.  F.  Smithson  of  Warrensburg,  Mo.;  Mr. 
B.  M.  Stigall  of  Kansas  City;  Mr.  Chas.  W.  Tindall  of  Indepen- 
dence, Mo.;  Mr.  Sidney  S.  Wilson  of  St.  Joseph,  Mo.;  Mr.  Julius 
T.  Volkman  of  Webster  Groves,  Mo.;  Mr.  E.  Seymour  Woodruff, 
who  visitd  Shannon  Co.  from  March  10  to  May  16  and  Grandin, 
Carter  Co.,  from  May  16  to  June  7,  1907,  and  very  kindly  sub- 
mitted all  his  notes,  containing  new  and  valuable  records,  for  use 
in  this  list;  Mr.  Chas.  K.  Worthen  of  Warsaw,  111.,  who  sent  me 
interesting  notes  on  birds  taken  on  the  Mississippi  River  or  so 
near  the  state  line  that  they  must  be  regarded  as  worthy  of  a 
place  in  our  list.  I  am  also  indebted  to  the  gentlemen  of  the 
Bureau  of  Biological  Survey  of  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture,  for  the  loan  of  the  schedules  containing  the  reports 
.on  bird  migration  in  Missouri  from  1884  to  1905.  They  com- 
prise the  work  of  thirty-six  observers  scattered  through  nearly  as 
many  counties  and  varying  from  notes  on  a  few  birds  in  a  single 
season  to  full  reports  on  a  number  of  species  and  a  long  series  of 
years,  chiefly  for  spring,  but  some  for  spring  and  fall  migration. 

II.   BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

The  first  local  list  ever  made  in  the  state  is  that  of  Dr.  P. 
R.  Hoy,  published  in  his  Journal  of  an  Exploration  of  Western 
Missouri  in  1854  in  the  nineteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Smith- 
sonian Institution  for  1864.  He  enumerates  156  species. 

Occasional  mention  of  birds  of  the  lower  Missouri  River  is 
found  among  the  observations  of  Max  Prinz  zu  Wied  in  his 
"Reise  in  das  Innere  Nord-America  in  den  Jahren  1832  bis  1834" 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     3 

and  in  his  "  Verzeichniss  der  Vogel  welche  auf  einer  Reise  in  Nord- 
America  beobachted  wurden"  in  the"  Journal  fuer  Ornithologie," 
for  1858;  also  in  Long's  Expedition  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  in 
1819  and  '20,  published  from  notes  of  Thomas  Say  in  1823;  and 
in  F.  V.  Hayden's  Report  on  the  Geology  and  Natural  History 
of  the  Upper  Missouri  River  based  on  explorations  in  1855,  '56  and 
'57,  published  in  the  Transactions  of  the  American  Philosophical 
Society,  vol.  12,  1863. 

A  few  notes  on  the  birds  of  Missouri  are  found  in  J.  H.  Town- 
send's  Narrative  of  a  Journey  across  the  Rocky  Mountains  in 
1839  (vol.  21  of  Early  Western  Travels),  and  a  larger  number  in 
Audubon's  Missouri  River  Journals,  1843,  in  "Audubon  and  his 
Journals,"  by  Maria  R.  Audubon,  1897.  Edward  Harris,  who 
accompanied  Audubon  on  his  journey  to  the  upper  Missouri 
in  1843  published  a  nominal  "List  of  Birds  and  Mammalia  found 
on  the  Missouri  River  from  Fort  Leaven  worth  to  Fort  Union" 
in  the  Fifth  Annual  Report  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution, 
1850  (1851). 

In  his  "  Notes  on  an  Ornithological  Reconnoissance,"  Dr.  J. 
A.  Allen  writes  in  the  Bull.  Mus.  Comp.  Zool.,  vol.  3:  p.  6,  July 
1872:  "Our  collections  at  Leavenworth  (in  May  1871)  were 
principally  made  in  the  heavy  timber  on  the  East  Leavenworth 
(Mo.)  side  of  the  Missouri  River  opposite  Fort  Leavenworth. 
Most  of  the  water-birds  were  obtained  about  a  lagoon  on  the 
Missouri  side."  In  Bull.  Nuttall  Ornith.  Club,  vol.  3,  p.  148, 
1878,  is  a  notice  by  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen  of  the  occurrence  of  three 
species  of  seaducks  and  a  purple  gallinule  taken  near  St.  Louis  by 
Mr.  Julius  Hurter  in  1875,  76  and  77.  In  vol.  4, 1879,  page  139  - 
147,  of  the  Nuttall  Bulletin  there  is  a  list  of  148  species  observed 
by  Mr.  W.  E.  D.  Scott  at  Warrensburg,  Mo.,  during  the  spring 
migration,  March  27  to  June  15,  1874.  In  the  Ornithologist  and 
Oologist  of  1884,  Mr.  Jul.  Hurter  of  St.  Louis  enumerates  265 
species  of  birds  collected  by  him  during  fifteen  years  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Otho  C.  Poling  of  Quincy,  111.,  in  his 
"Notes  on  the  Fringillidae  of  western  Illinois,"  in  the  Auk,  vol. 
7,  1890,  speaks  of  observations  made  on  Missouri  soil. 

Several  papers  treating  of  Missouri  birds  have  been  published 
by  the  author  of  the  present  list  during  the  last  twenty  years  in 
the  Auk,  the  Ornithologist  and  Oologist,  the  Osprey,  and  Bird 
Lore.  The  Reports  on  Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley 
by  W.  W.  Cooke  also  contain  a  large  number  of  notes  and  dates 
on  Missouri  birds,  chiefly  from  St.  Louis.  The  report  for  the 


4  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

spring  of  1882  is  published  in  Forest  and  Stream  during  October 
and  November  of  that  year;  that  of  the  spring  of  1883  is  pub- 
lished by  the  American  Field  in  Bull.  no.  1  of  the  Ridgway  Orni- 
thological Club  of  Chicago,  December  1883.  The  reports  of 
1884  and  1885  are  contained  in  Bull.  no.  2  of  the  Department  of 
Agriculture,  Division  of  Economic  Ornithology,  entitled :  "  Report 
on  Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  in  the  years  1884  and 
1885,"  by  W.  W.  Cooke,  1888,  edited  and  revised  by  Dr.  C.  H. 
Merriam. 

III.   EXPLANATIONS. 

The  nomenclature  is  that  of  the  American  Ornithologists' 
Union  check-list,  latest  (1895)  edition  and  supplements.  The 
numbers  are  also  those  of  the  check-list;  the  species  and  sub- 
species have  not  been  serially  numbered,  because  in  a  preliminary 
list  it  is  too  difficult  to  decide  which  shall  and  which  shall  not  be 
numbered ;  a  species  doubtful  to-day  may  have  to  be  recognized 
to-morrow,  and  species  which  have  occurred  lately  may  soon  be 
found  exterminated  as  far  as  this  state  is  concerned.  Species  and 
subspecies  which  are  known  to  have  bred  in  the  state,  or  which 
occur  under  such  circumstances  that  it  is  almost  certain  that  they 
breed  within  the  limits  of  the  state,  are  marked  with  an  asterisk. 
Synonyms,  both  scientific  and  English,  used  in  the  works  of 
American  ornithologists,  principally  those  used  by  Wilson,  Audu- 
bon,  Nuttall,  Baird,  and  Coues,  are  given  to  enable  students  to 
find  their  way  through  the  many  and  great  changes  in  nomen- 
clature made  since  the  first  of  these  books  was  printed  ninety- 
eight  years  ago.  No  attempt  is  made  to  describe  birds ;  manuals, 
handbooks,  keys,  and  general  works  on  North  American  orni- 
thology are  numerous.  The  catalog  is  confined  to  a  detailed 
treatment  of  the  geographic  distribution  of  each  species  and  sub- 
species in  accordance  with  the  latest  sources  of  information. 
This  is  followed  by  a  statement  of  its  range  in  Missouri,  manner 
of  occurrence  in  regard  to  season  and  relative  abundance,  dates 
of  arrival  and  departure,  and  such  notes  as  may  be  helpful  to  the 
student  in  the  search  of  rare  species.  Species  are  called  residents 
when  they  are  found  within  the  limits  of  the  state  in  every  month 
of  the  year ;  they  are  sometimes  called  permanent  residents  when 
they  remain  in  the  same  locality  throughout  the  year,  but  of  this 
kind  we  have  but  very  few,  while  of  many  species  some  indi- 
viduals remain  through  winter  with  us,  though  the  majority  go 
outh.  Of  a  few  species  the  numbers  are  larger  in  winter  than 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     5 

in  summer,  because  reinforced  by  winter  visitants  from  the  north. 
Winter  visitants  are  those  which  are  found  only  in  the  colder  part 
of  the  year  and  return  to  the  north  sooner  or  later  in  spring; 
when  they  are  of  regular  occurrence  and  long  sojourn  in  the  same 
locality  every  winter,  they  are  also  called  winter  residents. 
Summer  residents  are  those  which  pass  the  warmer  part  of  the 
year  in  our  state,  leave  us  in  autumn  and  return  in  spring.  A 
few  species  may  properly  be  termed  summer  visitants,  because 
they  visit  the  state  only  for  a  short  time  after  their  breeding 
season  in  a  more  southern  home  is  over.  Transient  visitants  are 
all  those  species  which  breed  farther  north  and  winter  farther 
south,  passing  through  our  state  in  migration  and  spending  more 
or  less  time  in  the  transit. 

Residents  and  summer  residents  are  breeders;  transient  visi- 
tants, summer  visitants,  winter  residents  and  winter  visitants 
are  non-breeders  in  the  state. 

The  terms  used  to  indicate  relative  abundance  may  be  defined 
thus :  Common  means  of  such  regular  occurrence  in  all  suitable 
localities  at  the  proper  time  that  individuals  can  be  found  with- 
out any  effort.  Fairly  common,  meaning  moderately  common, 
is  used  to  indicate  that  the  species,  though  of  regular  occurrence 
in  suitable  localities,  is  so  thinly  scattered  that  it  requires  more 
or  less  search  to  find  it.  Rather  rare  means  uncommon,  infre- 
quent, known  to  occur  only  in  small  numbers,  requiring  much 
search.  Rare  means  occurring  at  wide  intervals.  As  the  result 
of  persecution  or  adverse  circumstance  formerly  common  species 
have  been  reduced  to  this  state.  Accidental  designates  those 
which  are  entirely  unexpected  because  extralimital. 

The  catalog  contains  not  only  species  and  subspecies  fully 
authenticated,  but  also  a  few  of  such  highly  probable  occurrence 
that  it  seems  only  a  question  of  time  and  opportunity  to  establish 
the  proof  of  their  presence.  This  is  a  slight  deviation  from  the 
usual  course  of  relegating  everything  not  fully  verified  by  cap- 
tured specimens  to  an  appended,  generally  overlooked,  hypo- 
thetical list.  But  since  this  catalog  is  in  an  initial  stage,  far  from 
completion,  I  hold  it  to  be  of  the  greatest  importance  to  keep 
constantly  before  the  eyes  of  the  student  what  should  be  done  in 
the  way  of  filling  the  gaps.  He  should  not  only  know  what  has 
already  been  accomplished,  but  also  what  he  can  do  in  the 
locality  in  which  he  works  toward  completing  the  list.  When 
visiting  a  new  locality  it  is  a  great  help  to  know  beforehand  for 


6  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

what  one  should  watch,  particularly  in  order  to  make  a  dis- 
covery of  value. 

Apparently  extirpated  species  are  also  retained  in  the  list, 
because  it  is  interesting  to  know  what  formerly  occurred  in  the 
state,  and  because  the  possibility  still  exists  that  at  least  a  few 
individuals  remain  or  have  returned  from  adjacent  regions. 
Introduced  species  are  also  admitted  as  naturalized  members  of 
our  avifauna. 

The  total  number  of  species  and  subspecies  contained  in  the 
catalog  is  383,  of  which  162  are  breeders.  Species  not  actually 
taken  within  the  limits  of  the  state  are  distinguished  by  being 
put  into  brackets.  Of  this  kind  there  are  30,  which  subtracted 
from  383  leave  as  the  present  status  (July  8, 1907)  353  actually 
observed  species  and  subspecies  for  our  state. 

IV.   FAUNAL  AREAS. 

Our  avifauna  is  mainly  that  of  the  eastern  United  States 
generally  and  differs  little  from  that  of  the  adjoining  states  on 
the  east,  north  and  south.  The  Eastern  Province  reaches  from 
the  Atlantic  ocean  to  the  foothills  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
where  the  Middle  Province  begins,  but  many  of  the  western  forms 
of  birds  extend  eastward  into  Kansas  and  still  more  so  into 
western  Nebraska,  thus  swelling  the  number  of  species  and  sub- 
species in  the  latter  state  to  415.  Illinois,  too,  has  a  larger  list 
of  breeders  as  well  as  of  winter  visitants,  because  her  fauna  is 
enriched  by  water  birds  visiting  Lake  Michigan  and  by  its  great 
north  and  south  extension,  which  enters  the  Alleghanian  faunal 
area  of  the  Transition  zone  in  the  north  and  reaches  with  its 
southern  end  slightly  into  the  Austroriparian  area. 

Missouri  belongs  almost  entirely  to  the  Carolinian  faunal  area 
of  the  upper  Austral  life  zone;  only  the  low  alluvial  counties  of 
the  southeast  can  be  considered  a  spur  of  the  Austroriparian 
faunal  area  of  the  Lower  Austral  life  zone.  The  circumstance 
that  all  our  rivers  of  the  southern  slope  of  the  Ozarks  have  wide, 
open  and  long  valleys  leading  southward  gives  an  opportunity 
f 01  a  northward  advance  of  southern  forms  of  plants  and  animals ; 
and  our  broad,  open  prairie  region  of  the  west  and  north  offers  no 
barrier  to  an  eastward  spreading  of  the  western  fauna  and  flora. 

In  comparing  the  avifauna  of  Missouri  with  that  of  the  At- 
lantic States  in  the  same  latitude  it  should  be  remembered  that, 
although  the  mean  temperature  differs  but  little,  the  climate  of 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     7 

the  former  is  somewhat  more  severe  than  that  of  the  latter,  the 
summers  being  hotter,  the  winteis  colder.  It  is  therefore  not 
sui prising  to  find  slight  differences  in  the  summer  and  winter 
faunas  of  the  two  regions,  while  the  migrations  occur  at  nearly 
the  same  time,  owing  to  the  similarity  in  temperature  of  the 
spring  and  fall  months. 


V.  THE   CL1MYTE. 

The  climate  of  Missouri,  continental  as  H  is  in  a  high  degree,  is 
one  of  great  variations.  Generally  speaking  it  may  be  said  that 
it  is  characterized  by  hot  summers  and  moderately  cold  winters, 
with  exceptions  of  moderately  hot  summers  and  very  cold  winters. 
Maximum  temperatures  of  eighty  degrees  and  over  occur  during 
the  summer  on  eighty  bo  ninety  days;  ninety  degrees  and  over 
on  twenty  to  thirtv  days.  In  ordinary  winters  the  temperature 
reaches  to  and  below  the  freezing  point  on  about  eighty  days 
and  falls  below  zero  on  trom  ten  to  twenty  days.  There  are  on 
record  a  few  exceptionally  moderate  winters  like  that  of  1905-'06 
when  the  zero  mark  was  hardly  reached,  or  readied  only  in  the 
more  northern  counties.  There  is  little  difference  in  the  amount 
and  duration  of  the  summer's  heat  in  the  different  parts  of  the 
state,  but  there  is  a  difference  of  five  degrees  in  the  average 
winter  temperature  between  the  northwest  and  the  center,  and 
from  ten  to  fifteen  degrees  between  that  of  the  northwest  and 
the  southeast.  All  waves,  cold  and  warm,  appear  first  in  the 
northwest  and  advance  southeastward,  requiring  about  twenty- 
four  hours  to  reach  the  southeastern  corner  of  the  state.  The 
most  pronounced  polar  waves  of  midwinter  are  nearly  as  cold  in 
one  part  of  the  state  as  in  the  other,  but  cold  periods  are  generally 
of  shorter  duration  in  the  southeast,  moderating  more  rapidly  un- 
der the  more  southern  sun  and  the  lower  elevation.  This  is  espe- 
cially rioticeable  in  the  beginning  and  at  the  end  of  winter,  but,  due 
to  its  northwest-southeast  course,  the  chilling  effect  of  a  departing 
high  barometer  may  still  be  felt  strongly  in  the  southeast  when 
the  approaching  low  barometer  has  already  entered  the  state  'n 
the  northwest  with  rapidly  rising  temperature.  Such  conditions 
are  particularly  striking  in  spring,  when  north-bound  migrants 
are  thereby  enabled  to  depart,  while  no  migration  reaches  us 
from  the  south,  then  still  under  the  influence  of  the  cold  east  and 
southeast  w;nds  of  the  departed  high  pressure.  The  first  frosts 
occur  late  in  October,  in  the  southern  part  sometimes  not  before 


8  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

November,  but  exceptionally  the  last  of  September  even  in  the 
southeast.  The  last  frost  occurs  in  the  south  about  the  first,  and 
in  the  north  about  the  fifteenth  of  April,  exceptionally  later  as  on 
April  20,  1904,  when  six  inches  of  snow  covered  the  ground  at 
St.  Louis  with  a  temperature  of  28°  to  30°  (max.).  Hoarfrosts 
may  kill  tender  vegetation  as  late  as  the  middle  of  May  in  nearly 
all  parts  of  the  state. 

The  following  dates  may  illustrate  the  remarkable  dissimilarity 
in  dates  of  opening  spring:  Peach-trees  were  in  bloom  in  St. 
Louis  in  1878  on  March  15;  in  1907  on  March  25;  in  1879  on  April 
15 ;  in  1880  on  April  1  and  in  1881  on  April  28.  The  same  Magnolia 
which  was  in  flower  on  March  12,  1878,  did  not  bloom  in  1881 
before  April  24,  but  in  1882  again  as  early  as  March  18,  when 
spring  opened  on  the  first  of  March.  Though  spring  opened  in 
1881  only  on  April  16  not  a  single  tree  was  without  its  leaves  at 
St.  Louis  on  May  9;  but  in  1907  the  leafing  of  trees  began  March 
15  and  was  not  completed  June  1.  An  exceptionally  early  open- 
ing of  spring  with  us  can,  of  course,  have  no  influence  on  the 
starting  of  migrants  from  their  remote  winter  homes  in  southern 
Mexico,  Central  and  South  America,  as  they  cannot  know  what 
kind  of  weather  we  have  in  the  United  States,  but  a  late  spring 
may  retard  their  progress  after  they  have  entered  our  country. 
Most  of  the  birds  which  winter  beyond  the  limits  of  the  United 
States  do  not  reach  Missouri  before  April,  and  their  arrival  is  there- 
fore not  influenced  by  our  weather  prior  to  that  time.  They  do 
not  come  earlier,  be  the  spring  ever  so  early  and  vegetation  corres- 
pondingly advanced;  but  it  is  different  with  birds  which  winter 
within  the  United  Stales,  as  nearly  all  species  do  which  arrive  in 
Missouri  prior  to  April.  Though  the  desire  to  return  to  their 
breeding  ground  is  not  dependent  on  the  weather,  being  the  result 
of  a  plrysiological  process  which  through  inheritance  is  fixed  to  a 
certain  time  of  the  year  independent  of  meterological  conditions, 
a  precocious  rise  in  temperature  with  the  consequent  develop- 
ment of  plant  and  animal  life  exerts  some  influence  by  stimulat- 
ing this  desire,  and  it  is  for  this  reason  that  considerable  fluc- 
tuation occurs  in  the  time  of  arrival  of  our  earlier  migrants  as 
well  as  in  the  departure  of  our  winter  guests.  A  backward  spring 
causes  a  general  retardation  of  all  migration  that  becomes  less 
marked  as  the  season  advances,  but  every  cold  wave,  even  in 
the  height  of  migration,  checks  farther  advancement  for  the  time 
being  and  detains  transients  at  the  localities  where  they  happen 
to  be  when  the  adverse  conditions  arise.  This  is  of  great  prac- 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     9 

tical  value  for  the  observer  or  hunter,  as  it  affords  him  oppor- 
tunity to  find  for  a  longer  time  and  in  greater  numbers  birds 
which  under  other,  for  them  more  favorable,  conditions  would 
have  passed  on  at  once  or  with  little  delay.  The  abundance  and 
scarcity  of  migrants  in  transit  through  our  state  is  therefore 
largely  dependent  on  the  time  at  which  prolonged  cold  or  warm 
spells  strike  our  region.  Should  the  cold  spell  set  in  at  the  time 
when  the  bulk  of  ducks  is  present,  the  hunter  will  have  cause  to 
rejoice;  but  should  their  arrival  be  delayed  and  then  be  followed 
by  a  decided  and  extensive  warm  period,  the  bulk  will  pass  on, 
proceeding  on  their  way  to  the  northern  breeding  grounds,  and 
the  hunters  will  find  the  season  a  poor  one.  This  is  the  case  with 
all  transients  and  is  the  reason  why  we  find  certain  birds  common 
in  one  year  and  rare  in  another;  it  is  especially  noticeable  in 
May  when  the  presence  of  north-bound  warblers,  thrushes,  and 
others,  is  greatly  influenced,  shortened  or  lengthened,  by  these 
warm  and  cold  waves  or  spells. 

A  great  diversity  is  also  found  in  the  seasonal  distribution  of 
precipitation  which  in  a  year  amounts  to  thirty-four  inches  in  the 
northwest  and  forty-six  in  the  southeast.  May  and  June  are  the 
months  of  greatest  precipitation,  and  five  inches  of  rain  fall  in 
each  of  these  months  throughout  the  state.  This  rainy  season 
is  generally  followed  by  dry  periods  in  July  and  August,  when 
droughts  of  several  weeks  duration  are  not  rare.  But  there  are 
no  fixed  rules:  while  in  some  years  no  appreciable  precipitation 
takes  place  from  early  July  to  September,  in  other  years  rainy 
periods  occur  almost  every  week  throughout  summer.  State- 
ments of  average  precipitation,  as  of  average  temperature,  give 
no  insight  into  the  weather  conditions  of  a  region.  Four  inches 
of  rain  may  fall  within  twenty-four  hours  and  not  a  drop  fall  for 
a  whole  month,  or  the  four  inches  may  come  down  in  install- 
ments of  half  an  inch  distributed  over  the  same  period. 

The  effect  of  such  different  conditions  on  bird  life  is  remark- 
able. Heavy  storms  with  copious  downpours  in  the  height  of 
the  breeding  season  destroy  immense  numbers  of  broods,  and 
long  droughts  make  insect  life  so  scarce  that  some  species  of 
birds  find  it  impossible  to  provide  enough  food  for  their  young. 
The  increase  or  decrease  in  the  number  of  individuals  of  a  species 
is  therefore  often  the  direct  result  of  favorable  or  unfavorable 
weather  of  the  preceding  summer. 

While  spring  migration  is  chiefly  influenced  by  temperature, 
fall  migration  is  controlled  in  a  large  measure  by  precipitation. 


10  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

In  years  of  drought  during  August  and  September,  and  such 
years  are  by  no  means  rare,  migrants  proceed  southward  on 
their  journey  without  much  delay,  because  insect  food  of  the 
kind  they  like  is  scarce,  and  all  birds  need  water  for  drinking  and 
bathing.  The  drying  up  of  water  courses  and  ponds  has  much 
to  do  with  the  early  disappearance  of  birds  from  their  breeding 
ground.  The  condition  of  our  lakes  and  rivers  governs  the 
occurrence  and  abundance  of  water-birds  in  autumn.  Should 
our  rivers  be  so  full  as  to  cover  all  sandbanks  and  mud  flats, 
waders  will  not  remain  with  us;  on  the  other  hand,  ducks  will 
be  rare  when  our  ponds  and  sloughs  are  very  low  or  dry,  or  when 
the  water  is  too  deep  for  dabbling.  The  presence  or  absence  of 
particular  species  at  certain  seasons  is  therefore  the  direct  result 
of  the  great  variation  in  the  seasonal  distribution  of  precipi- 
tation. 

In  winter,  too,  it  is  the  abundance  or  scarcity  of  snow  on  the 
ground  that  regulates  the  presence  of  birds  more  than  the  tem- 
perature does.  Fortunately  in  most  winters  we  cannot  com- 
plain of  too  much  snow,  though  the  average  snowfall  for  the 
state  is  said  to  be  eight  inches  in  the  southeast,  and  thirty  inches 
in  the  northwest.  First  snows  usually  do  not  fall  before  the 
middle  of  November;  but  here,  too,  the  exceptions  are  almost  as 
frequent  as  the  rule.  Snow  once  covered  the  ground  at  St. 
Louis  as  early  as  November  5  and  did  not  entirely  disappear 
from  the  north  sides  of  houses  until  the  middle  of  April  (1881). 
In  another  year  (1889)  there  was  no  precipitation  of  any  kind 
during  the  entire  fall  and  winter  until  the  first  of  January, 
1890,  when  exceedingly  heavy  rain  and  wind  storms  followed. 
Snows  falling  before  Christmas  are  usually  light  and  drifted  by 
the  accompanying  cold  and  high  winds.  Such  snows  do  not 
affect  bird  life  seriously,  because  they  leave  much  ground  un- 
covered and  accessible  to  the  ensuing  sunshine.  The  worst  kind 
of  snow,  that  which  is  introduced  or  followed  by  freezing  rain 
and  sleet,  falls  mostly  between  the  fifth  of  January  and  tenth  of 
February,  generally  in  advance  of  our  severest  polar  waves 
whose  low  temperature  preserves  the  icy  crust  almost  intact 
for  days  and  weeks.  They  are  naturally  very  destructive  to 
bird  life,  the  more  so  the  further  southward  they  extend  and  the 
longer  they  last.  It  was  one  of  these  periods  that  came  near 
exterminating  our  eastern  bluebirds  in  February  1895. 

The  deepest  snows  fall  in  the  latter  part  of  winter,  from  the 
last  of  February  to  the  first  of  April,  but  remain  on  the  ground 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     11 

but  a  few  days,  giving  way  to  the  bright  sunshine  and  strong 
winds  following  in  their  wake. 


VI.  TOPOGRAPHY. 

Missouri  has  three  topographic  divisions:  the  prairie  region 
in  the  north  and  central  west,  the  Ozark  region  in  the  south,  and 
the  lowlands  in  the  southeast.  There  is  a  sharp  line  sepa- 
rating the  lowlands  from  the  Ozarks,  but  the  dividing  line  be- 
tween the  other  two  regions  is  indistinct,  following  in  the  main 
the  Missouri  River  westward  to  Boonville,  there  turning  south- 
westward  through  Clinton,  Appleton  City,  and  Nevada  to  La- 
mar,  leaving  the  state  where  the  Spring  River  crosses  the 
line. 

The  Ozark  region  has  its  highest  elevation  in  a  plateau,  a  broad, 
comparatively  even,  stretch  of  high  land,  which  reaches  from 
Perry,  Ste.  Genevieve,  and  Jefferson  Counties  southwestward 
to  the  southwest  corner  of  the  state.  It  attains  a  height  of  1100' 
in  St.  Francois  Co.,  1600'  in  Iron  and  Reynolds  Cos.,  1400'  in 
Dent,  1700'  in  Wright  and  1550'  in  Stone,  Barry  and  Taney 
Counties.  This  upland  is  not  a  contiguous  stretch,  but  is  inter- 
rupted by  shallow,  rather  wide  troughs  and  by  broad  areas 
where  the  water  disappears  and  runs  in  underground  channels; 
but  all  the  drainage  of  the  Ozarks  goes  from  this  divide  either 
north  to  the  Missouri  and  Meramec  Rivers  or  south  to  the 
White  and  Arkansas  Rivers,  a  very  small  area  only  being  drained 
eastwardly  direct  into  the  Mississippi  River. 

In  the  region  immediately  adjoining  the  plateau  the  streams 
have  cut  deep  valleys  and  narrow  gorges  with  innumerable  ra- 
vines. This  is  the  most  rugged  part  of  the  whole  region,  the 
valleys  reaching  their  maximum  depth  about  midway  between 
the  plateau  and  the  border  subregion  with  bluffs  and  cliffs  300 
feet  high  in  places. 

The  Ozark  border  subregion  is  the  hilly  belt  inclosing  the 
Ozarks,  being  less  rugged,  less  stony,  but  broken  up  more  or  less, 
and  sloping  gradually  down  to  the  prairie  region  or  terminating 
on  the  east  and  north  in  the  bluffs  of  the  Mississippi  and 
Missouri  Rivers.  The  prairie  region  has  never  been  a  true, 
treeless  prairie;  its  name  is  applied  simply  because  its  topog- 
raphy is  of  the  same  type  as  that  of  all  the  prairie  regions 
of  the  Mississippi  Valley;  it  is  in  fact  the  eastern  border  of  the 


12  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

vast  sloping  plain  which  stretches  from  the  foot  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  to  the  Mississippi  River.  It  is  lowest  along  the  border 
line  of  the  Ozarks  and  along  its  eastern  edge  which  fronts  the 
Mississippi  River,  rising  from  800'  along  this  belt  to  1100'  south 
of  Kansas  City  and  to  1200'  near  the  northwestern  corner  of  the 
state.  It  is  a  gently  undulating  plain  of  rich  soil,  largely  brought 
there  by  glacial  action  and  thus  differing  greatly  from  that  of 
southern  Missouri,  which  is  the  result  of  decomposed  native  rocks. 
The  valleys  in  the  prairie  region  are  true  flood  plains  with  flat 
floors,  cut  into  soft  shale,  generally  broad  with  gently  sloping 
sides  and  extremely  tortuous  channels.  All  the  valleys  were 
originally  heavily  wooded,  and  remnants  of  the  primeval  forests 
are  still  found  in  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  River  bottoms 
and  on  their  bluffs,  but  most  of  the  timber  of  the  prairie  region 
has  been  removed,  leaving  only  thin  strips  of  woods  along  the 
streams  with  occasional  artificial  groves.  Tree  growth  of  vari- 
able size  and  quality  once  covered  the  entire  Ozark  region, 
heavy  and  of  valuable  kind  in  the  valleys  and  along  hillsides,  low 
and  of  little  value  on  the  dry  ridges  and  flats  west  of  the  Pine 
and  White  Oak  region.  The  best  parts  of  all  the  valleys  have 
long  been  cleared  and  are  devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits; 
everywhere,  high  and  low,  the  best  timber  is  being  rapidly  cut 
out  and  removed;  whole  stretches  have  been  transformed  into 
orchards,  and  farms  are  springing  up  everywhere,  even  on  the 
remotest  hilltops.  But  there  is  still  a  vast  amount  of  tree 
growth,  so  much  so  that,  looking  over  the  country  from  some 
eminence  in  the  Ozarks,  the  eye  meets  hardly  anything  but  vast 
stretches  of  woodland  for  miles  and  miles  in  all  directions.  The 
character  of  these  woods  is  rather  disappointing,  for  upon  close 
inspection  it  is  found  to  be  of  little  commercial  value,  consisting 
in  large  part  of  medium-sized  and  small  Blackjack  and  Post 
Oaks.  Formerly  Pine  trees  (Pinus  echinata)  grew  in  large 
quantities  on  silicious  ground  along  the  divide  and  southern  slope 
of  the  Ozarks  from  St.  Francois  Co.  to  Taney  Co.,  but  they  are 
mostly  gone  or  disappearing  at  a  rapid  rate,  being  replaced  only 
by  scrub-oaks  with  no  prospect  for  a  continuation  of  pine  woods 
in  any  part  of  the  region,  as  the  growth  of  Pinus  echinata  is  too 
slow  to  make  planting  profitable  and  the  annual  burning  over 
of  the  forest  floor  has  prevented  natural  reproduction. 

The  flood-plains  of  the  Missouri  and  Mississippi  Rivers  and  the 
bluffs  bordering  them  play  such  an  important  part  in  the  dis- 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     13 

tribution  of  vegetable  and  animal  life  that  they  deserve  a  de- 
tailed description. 

Where  the  Missouri  River  enters  the  state  at  the  northwest 
corner  it  meanders  for  sixty  miles  through  a  flood  plain  of  from 
six  to  ten  miles  in  width  with  low,  gently  sloping  bluffs  hardly 
100  feet  high  anywhere.  The  alluvial  land  on  the  Missouri  side 
extends  over  a  large  area,  covering  one-third  of  the  counties  of 
Atchison  and  Holt,  and  smaller  areas  of  Andrew,  Buchanan  and 
Pealt  Counties.  All  these  bottoms  were  originally  thickly  tim- 
bered with  Walnut,  Maple,  Sycamore,  Cottonwood,  Elm,  Hickory, 
Oak,  Hackberry,  Willow,  Locust,  Boxelder,  etc.  Below  the 
Nebraska-Kansas  line  the  river  encounters  harder  rock  and  the 
floodplain  narrows  to  three  or  four  miles,  while  the  bluffs  rise  to 
almost  three  times  their  height  for  a  hundred  miles,  down  to 
near  Lexington  in  Lafayette  Co.  From  there  to  Glasgow,  run- 
ning through  soft  shale,  the  river  has  carved  out  a  flood  plain  from 
six  to  ten  miles  in  width  between  low  bluffs  hardly  100  feet  high. 
Rich  alluvial  bottoms,  in  some  parts  of  a  marshy  nature,  and 
ranging  from  one  to  three  miles  in  width,  extend  for  one  hundred 
miles  along  the  great  bend  of  the  river  in  Saline  Co.  and  com- 
prise one-third  of  the  area  of  Carroll  Co.  From  Glasgow  to  St. 
Charles  the  Missouri  River  flows  without  many  windings  through 
hard  limestone  in  a  floodplain  less  than  three  miles,  in  some  places 
only  two  miles  wide  between  steep  bluffs  300  and  more  feet  in 
height. 

The  floodplain  of  the  Mississippi  River  is  generally  broader 
than  that  of  the  Missouri  River,  but  less  than  one-half  of  it  is  on 
the  Missouri  side,  the  current  of  the  river  being  mostly  near  the 
bluffs  of  its  western  shore.  The  width  of  the  floodplain  where 
the  river  reaches  the  state  in  the  northeast,  is  about  eight  miles, 
with  bluffs  of  250  feet  above  low  water.  Bottomland  up  to  three 
miles  wide,  some  protected  by  levees,  some  subject  to  overflow, 
extends  through  three  counties,  Clark,  Lewis,  and  Marion. 
At  Hannibal  hard  limestone  causes  the  floodplain  to  contract, 
reaching  its  minimum  width  of  three  to  four  miles  at  Louisiana 
with  bluffs  over  400  feet  high,  closely  followed  by  the  stream 
through  most  of  Rails  and  Pike  counties.  In  Lincoln  Co.  the 
alluvial  bottom  widens  again  on  our  side  with  land  partly  pro- 
tected by  levees,  partly  subject  to  overflow,  and  reaches  its 
maximum  width  in  St.  Charles  Co.,  where  all  land  east  of  St. 
Charles,  St.  Peters  and  St.  Paul  is  alluvial,  much  of  it  marshy 
and  dotted  with  ponds  and  lakes  connected  by  sloughs. 


14  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

From  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  River  to  Alton,  a  stretch  of 
sixteen  miles,  the  shore  on  the  Illinois  side  is  a  wall  of  cliffs  from 
100  to  150  feet  in  height,  formerly,  and  in  less  degree  still  the 
home  of  interesting  birds  with  feeding  grounds  mostly  on  our 
side  of  the  river.  There  is  some  bottom  land  in  the  northern 
portion  of  St.  Louis  Co.,  but  from  the  City  of  St.  Louis  to  the 
city  of  Cape  Girardeau  very  little  lowland  is  found  on  our  side, 
as  the  river  washes  the  foot  of  the  bluffs  nearly  all  along — bluffs 
which  in  many  places  attain  the  dignity  of  cliffs  similar  to  those 
above  Alton  on  the  Illinois  side.  At  Cape  Girardeau  the  Missis- 
sippi enters  the  great  alluvial  plain,  of  which  the  seven  counties 
in  the  southeastern  corner  of  Missouri  form  a  part,  and  through 
which  the  mighty  river,  together  with  the  waters  of  the  Ohio 
winds  in  a  wide  belt  with  frequent  changes  of  its  channel  and  the 
formation  of  cut-offs,  islands  and  lakes. 

The  most  pronounced  physiographic  area  of  Missouri  is  the 
swampy  region  of  the  southeast.  There,  remnants  of  the  most 
magnificent  forests  are  still  in  existence,  though  continually 
encroached  upon,  and,  since  the  region  is  now  traversed  by  several 
railroads,  it  can  be  only  a  question  of  a  few  years  when  but  a 
shadow  of  its  sublime  beauty  will  be  left.  It  is  the  home  of  the 
Bald  Cypress,  the  Water  Tupelo,  the  Sweet  Gum  and  Planer- 
tree  ;  a  paradise  for  the  ornithologist  as  well  as  the  botanist  who 
finds  there  representatives  of  the  Floridian  and  Texan  floras; 
a  bonanza  for  the  herpetologist  and  entomologist. 

Terminated  northward  by  abrupt  bluffs  along  a  north-east 
south-west  line  from  Cape  Girardeau  to  where  the  Current  River 
crosses  the  state  line  in  Ripley  Co.,  the  alluvial  plain  covers  about 
seven  counties  with  an  elevation  of  less  than  400  feet  above  sea 
level  and  from  ten  to  twenty  feet  above  the  Mississippi  River  at 
low- water.  A  number  of  rivers  and  bayous,  connected  in  the 
eastern  portion  with  the  Mississippi,  in  the  western  with  the  St. 
Francis  River,  divide  into  ridges  and  islands  and  yearty  inundate 
a  large  portion  of  the  area  when  high  water  overflows  their  shal- 
low beds  for  weeks  and  months  at  a  time.  Thus,  Little  River, 
which  in  very  dry  summers  has  hardly  enough  water  to  carry  a 
canoe,  reaches  often  a  width  of  from  six  to  seven^miles;  this  is 
also  the  width  of  the  St.  Francis  River  with  its  parallel-running 
sloughs  or  arms.  •  &/j 

Peninsula  of  Missouri  is  called  that  part  of  the  southeast  which 
extends  from  latitude  36°  30'  south  to  36°.  With  the  exception 
of  a  narrow  strip  of  sandy  ridge  between  Little  and  St.  Francis 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     15 

Rivers  the  whole  region  is  low  and  a  large  part  of  it  under  water 
except  in  late  summer  and  early  fall,  or  in  unusually  dry  seasons. 
Originally  nine-tenths  of  the  whole  area  was  overgrown  with  a 
dense  forest,  the  sandy  ridge  called  Grand  Prairie  being  the  only 
part  not  fully  covered  with  tree  growth.  Trees  of  magnificent 
size  grew  here  by  the  millions;  Cotton  woods  and  Cypresses 
attained  gigantic  dimensions;  Sweet  or  Red  Gums  had  taken 
possession  of  high  levels,  called  islands;  while  the  Bald  Cypress 
occupied  the  region  of  the  regular  yearly  overflow,  and  the  Tu- 
pelos  took  to  the  sloughs  and  rivers  themselves.  Together  with 
the  Sweet  Gums  holding  the  higher  levels  were  different  kinds 
of  Oak  (White,  Cow,  Red,  Shingle,  Overcup  and  Willow  Oaks), 
Red  Maples,  Elm,  White  Ash,  Sycamore,  Pecan,  Mockernut, 
Shagbark  Hickory,  Hackberry,  Sassafras,  Black  Gum,  Tulip, 
Mulberry,  Boxelder,  Catalpa,  Holly,  and  others.  Dogwoods, 
Redbud,  Papaw,  Hazel,  Spicebush,  and  Hercules  Club  were 
plentiful  among  the  lower  tree  growth  intertwined  with  a  large 
variety  of  climbers,  among  them  Crossvine,  Wistaria,  Muscadine, 
Berchemia,  Smilax  and  Cocculus.  In  the  sloughs  were  Itea, 
Leitneria,  Planera,  Micania  and  many  others  assisting  the  broad 
belts  of  Polygonum  densiflorum  and  Zizania  miliacea  to  occupy 
the  sides,  while  Nelumbo,  Nymphea  and  Nuphar  covered  the 
deeper  portions,  filling  the  whole  expanse  of  the  water  with 
plant  growth. 

Excepting  the  presence  of  cane-brakes  (Arundinaria)  in  its 
southern  portion,  the  Peninsula  does  not  differ  essentially  from 
the  rest  of  the  alluvial  southeast  in  any  of  its  physical  features, 
but,  having  escaped  the  so-called  civilization  longest,  retained 
the  primeval  conditions  longest,  and  only  since  the  railroads 
began  to  penetrate  the  region  ten  years  ago  is  it  slowly  but  surely 
changing  its  former  peculiarly  wild  and  interesting  character  into 
one  of  devastation  and  desolation.  Not  only  that  the  best 
timber  is  being  removed,  but  hundreds  of  thousands  of  giant  trees 
are  girdled  in  the  expectation  of  making  the  sandy  soil  agri- 
culturally available.  Levee-building  and  ditching  is  going  on 
along  the  Mississippi  River;  lakes  have  been  drained  and  much 
land  has  been  protected  from  high  water  in  the  Mississippi; 
the  whole  region  is  in  a  state  of  transformation;  lumbering  and 
the  saw  mills  have  attracted  a  population  whose  chief  diversion 
is  found  in  fishing  and  hunting,  in  devastating  and  destroying; 
surely  the  Peninsula  will  soon  cease  to  be  the  paradise  of  the  nat- 
uralist and  hunter.  Ducks,  of  which  150,000  were  killed  in  a 


16  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

single  winter  (1893-94)  on  the  Big  Lake  and  shipped  from  Horners- 
ville,  still  visit  the  region  in  large  numbers  in  their  migrations 
and  many  remain  in  mild  winters,  but  the  resident  game  birds 
such  as  the  Turkey,  and  summer  residents  like  the  Wood  Duck 
and  Hooded  Merganser  are  decreasing  rapidly  and  will,  like  the 
Ivorybill,  the  Snakebird,  the  Canada  Goose,  several  kinds  of 
ducks  and  herons,  the  Bald  Eagle  and  Osprey,  in  fact  like  most 
birds  of  larger  size,  disappear  and  become,  as  far  as  their  beeding 
in  that  part  of  Missouri  is  concerned,  exterminated. 

VII.    DECREASE    OF   BIRDS. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  gun  is  the  main  factor  in  the  rapid 
disappearance  of  all  the  larger  birds.  No  amount  of  instruction 
and  law-making  will  prevent  the  killing  of  hawks  and  owls  by 
farmers  and  hunters,  especially  the  latter,  who  sees  in  every 
large  bird  an  enemy  of  his  game,  a  competitor  in  the  chase  or 
fishery. 

The  reduction  in  the  number  of  the  smaller  birds  is  the  result  of 
quite  different  causes — causes  which  cannot  be  removed  because 
they  are  the  unavoidable  consequences  of  the  transformation  of 
a  wild,  thinly  inhabited  land  into  a  highly  cultivated,  thickly 
settled  one.  With  the  felling  of  the  trees,  tree-inhabiting  wild 
creatures  necessarily  disappear;  with  the  draining  of  the  low- 
lands, marsh  birds  cannot  be  expected  ary  more;  the  drying-up 
of  the  lakes  diverts  their  animal  life  to  other  regions,  the  re- 
moval of  certain  plants  from  a  place  makes  the  presence  of  certain 
kinds  of  animal  life  impossible.  When  we  consider  how  much 
one  organism  is  dependent  on  others,  we  do  not  wonder  that  an 
annihilation  of  many  forms  of  animal  life,  high  and  low,  is  in- 
separably bound  up  with  such  a  change  as  deforestation  and 
subsequent  cultivation.  While  we  see  a  few  birds  which  for- 
merly lived  exclusively  in  the  forest  accommodate  themselves 
to  the  changed  conditions  and  put  up  with  substitutes,  such  as 
orchards  and  artificial  groves,  many  of  the  true  forest-loving  birds 
invariably  disappear  with  the  forest  and  become  exterminated 
as  far  as  that  particular  locality  is  concerned.  Not  counting  the 
scrub-oak  barrens  of  the  Ozarks  as  forest,  because  very  few  wood- 
land birds  find  a  home  in  them,  we  can  say  that  only  25  per  cent, 
of  the  former  forest  area  is  left  as  such  at  present,  and  that  there- 
fore 75  per  cent,  of  most  of  the  woodland  birds  of  Missouri  have 
gone  since  the  white  man  began  to  settle  in  the  state.  But  de- 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     17 

forestationfis  still  going  on,  on  even  a  larger  scale  than  ever  be- 
fore. There  may  come  a  time  when  forestry  steps  in  and  takes 
care  of  the  remaining  woodland,  and  men  may  even  begin  to 
plant  new  forests  as  they  do  in  other  countries,  but  such  arti- 
ficial groves  compare  with  the  primeval  forests  as  docs  a  corn- 
field with  a  marsh  or  prairie.  Many  birds  now  at  home  in  the 
forest  would  feel  themselves  perfect  strangers  in  such  a  highly 
cultivated  tract  of  tree  growth.  There  will  be  no  great  variety 
of  trees,  no  twiners  and  vines  of  any  kinds,  no  underbrush  and 
thickets  of  brambles  and  briars,  no  decaying  tree-tops  and  no 
prostrate  monarchs  of  the  forest  crumbling  into  dust.  The  floor 
of  the  tract  will  offer  no  shelter  and  no  hiding  places  for  the  nests 
of  ground-builders:  no  thickets  will  harbor  the  many  different 
songsters,  which  cannot  exist  without  them;  no  canopy  of  low 
trees  overgrown  with  climbers  will  conceal,  as  it  now  so  effectively 
does,  the  cradles  of  our  summer  guests,  and  wood-peckers  will 
find  no  insect-infested  trees  to  yield  them  food  and  homes. 
There  will  be  a  desolation  and  stillness  throughout  these  woods 
that  even  the  few  birds  piesent  will  hardly  have  the  courage  to 
break.  Next  to  the  vanishing  of  the  woodland  bird  comes  that 
of  the  marsh  bird,  whose  doom  is  sealed  by  the  draining  of  the 
lowland  along  our  rivers  and  the  transformation  of  lakes  and 
swampy  tracts  into  cornfields.  These  are  no  substitute  for 
sedges,  reeds,  and  flags  and  the  manifold  vegetation  associated 
with  them;  nor  will  the  pond  and  lake  dwellers  return  after  their 
watery  haunts  have  yielded  to  the  plow  and  harrow.  Where  do 
they  go?  We  do  not  know;  some  of  the  smaller  birds  may  be- 
take themselves  to  meadows,  but  the  great  majority  disappear 
forever  from  the  locality  and  the  extermination  of  some  of  these 
species  as  breeders  in  our  state  is  rapidly  approaching.  Those 
species  of  birds  which  frequent  the  thickets  along  the  edge  of 
woods  and  the  vegetation  which  fringes  the  watercourses  have 
a  better  chance  to  endure  for  a  while,  but  these  too  will  constantly 
be  reduced  in  numbers  by  the  adoption  of  the  ideal  clean  culture, 
which  does  away  with  all  plant  growth  from  fences  and  roads, 
and  removes  even  the  last  remnants  along  the  creeks  and  small 
wet- weather  branches. 

The  universally  deplored  decrease  of  insectivorous  and  song- 
birds, generally  laid  at  the  door  of  the  egg-collector  and  the  boy 
with  the  gun,  is  therefore  easily  explained  as  the  direct  and  in- 
evitable result  of  the  progress  of  civilization,  which  not  only 
changes  the  physical  features  of  the  land,  but  also  introduces 


18  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

and  propagates  enemies  of  the  existing  fauna  not  known  before. 
The  cat  and  the  dog  are  responsible  for  the  killing  of  many  of 
our  choicest  pets,  which  like  the  Bluebirds  confidingly  seek  our 
protection  to  be  sadly  disappointed  by  loosing  their  young  ones 
to  the  cat  as  soon  as  they  leave  the  nest.  Some  dogs  are  as  bad 
as  cats  in  destroying  the  broods  of  birds  nesting  on  the  ground. 
Besides  the  cat  and  the  dog  the  hog  does  the  greatest  harm  to 
birds  which  habitually  make  their  nests  on  or  near  the  ground. 
In  parts  of  our  state  where  the  only  woodpatch  left  standing  is 
given  to  pasturing  swine,  no  ground  nester  can  long  survive,  and 
we  find  these  species  now  entirely  wanting  in  localities  where 
they  used  to  be  common.  Cattle,  horses  and  sheep  involuntarily 
inflict  losses  on  birds  frequenting  their  pastures  by  trampling  on 
their  nests  or  disturbing  them  in  the  act  of  incubating.  There 
are  still  other  ways  of  destruction  unavoidably  connected  with 
the  tilling  or  burning  over  of  land  at  a  time  when  some  birds  have 
already  nested  on  the  ground  and  those  which  escape  the  fire 
and  the  plow  may  be  demolished  by  the  scythe  or  mower  later  on. 
It  is  easy  to  see  why  birds  must  become  scarcer  and  scarcer,  and 
that  it  will  require  all  the  protection  man  is  able  to  give  to  keep 
them  from  a  lamentable  state  of  rarity. 


VIII.   BIRD   PROTECTION. 

It  would  be  wrong  to  understand  by  bird  protection  simply 
the  restraint  from  killing  them.  We  have  to  actively  assist 
them  in  the  battle  against  adversities.  It  is  not  yet  too  late  to 
save  remnants  of  original  forests  from  destruction ;  men  of  means, 
corporations,  or  associations  of  men,  should  establish  such  bird 
reserves  in  all  parts  of  the  state  wherever  forests  remain.  All 
that  is  required  is  a  strong  fence  and  a  guard  to  keep  out  the  dog 
and  the  hog,  the  cattle  and  the  cat,  the  axe  and  the  fire,  and  all 
other  bird  enemies,  and  allow  only  those  persons  to  enter  who 
appreciate  the  rare  privilege. 

Land  owners  and  their  tenants  should  be  more  sparing  with 
axe  and  fire  than  they  are  now;  before  removing  trees,  stumps, 
vines,  thickets  and  hedges  they  should  consider  whether  it  would 
not  be  possible  to  leave  them  for  the  birds,  especially  trees  which 
have  already  served  them  for  a  home.  Some  birds,  and  among 
them  the  most  useful  ones,  habitually  nest  in  holes  in  trees; 
such  birds  can  be  helped  by  setting  up  bird  boxes  in  trees  or  on 
poles  in  suitable  places  about  the  garden,  park  or  orchard. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     19 

Birds  which  nest  in  thickets  can  be  assisted  by  planting  shrubs 
and  bushes  and  allowing  them  to  grow  thick  enough  for  a  bird 
to  hide  its  nest  there.  Such  birds  once  attracted  will  return, 
like  those  which  build  in  holes,  to  the  same  place  every  year. 
Another  way  of  attracting  birds  to  one's  premises  is  by  planting 
wild  fruit  trees,  especially  Wild  Cherry  and  Red  Mulberry  trees 
wherever  shade  and  ornamental  trees  are  wanted.  It  is  not  only 
a  boon  for  our  little  feathered  friends,  but  it  keeps  them  away 
from  our  cultivated  fruit,  for  birds  need  fruit  of  some  kind  for 
their  diet,  and,  being  deprived  by  man  of  their  former  wild 
fruit,  they  seek  a  substitute  in  our  orchards,  gardens  and  vine- 
yards. 

Our  new  game,  bird  and  fish  protection  law  of  1905  is  as  good 
as  can  be  desired  at  present,  but  the  enforcement  of  such  a  law 
depends  so  much  on  public  sentiment  that  it  remains  to  be  seen 
how  much  good  it  will  do.  A  great  mistake  has  been  made  in 
framing  Section  8  in  which  the  word  Chickenhawk  is  used  among 
birds  excluded  from  protection.  Ornithologists  do  not  recognize 
any  particular  species  under  that  name,  while  hunters  and  others 
call  every  large  hawk  a  chickenhawk.  By  thus  inserting  the 
word  chickenhawk  among  birds  to  be  killed,  our  legislators  have 
doomed  the  fate  of  our  most  useful  mice-destroyers,  namely 
the  Marsh  Hawk,  the  Red-tailed,  Red-shouldered,  Broad- winged, 
and  Rough-legged  Hawks.  All  these  are  commonly  known  as 
chickenhawks,  though  they  hardly  ever  catch  chickens,  while 
the  Cooper's  and  Sharp-shinned  Hawks,  which  really  do  the 
damage,  are  but  seldom  seen,  because  they  hide  in  the  woods 
and  appear  and  disappear  on  their  foraging  expeditions  with  such 
lightning  rapidity  that  they  fall  seldom  to  the  gun  of  the  hunter 
who  takes  pride  in  killing  the  slow  mouse-hunting  species  which 
frequent  the  fields  and  perch  on  fence-posts.  The  proper  thing 
to  do  would  be  to  except  from  protection  only  the  individual 
caught  in  the  act  of  stealing,  because  it  cannot  be  expected  that 
anyone  not  a  trained  ornithologist  can  at  first  sight  distinguish 
the  harmful  from  the  useful  species. 

Section  8  excepts  from  protection  also  the  Goshawk  and  the 
Great  Horned  Owl,  but  the  first  is  a  very  rare  transient  visitant, 
and  the  latter  would  never  catch  a  chicken  in  a  cold  winter  night, 
if  our  farmers  would  properly  care  for  their  fowls  and  keep  them 
in  hen-houses  during  the  winter  nights.  Crows  and  English 
Sparrows  should,  I  think,  only  be  destroyed  where  they  do  actual 
damage,  but  not  on  general  principle.  In  most  parts  of  our 


20  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

state  Crows  do  more  good  than  harm,  and  if  farmers  were  not 
prejudiced  against  them — partly  on  account  of  their  black  garb 
— and  would  investigate  before  passing  judgment,  they  would 
often  find  that  the  damage  with  which  they  charge  the  crow  is 
really  done  by  other  animals  unseen  because  nocturnal. 

The  English  sparrow  does  not  need  much  protection.  Nature 
has  endowed  it  with  so  much  sagacity  and  other  useful  qualities 
for  self-preservation  that  its  future  is  safe;  and  many  persons 
are  found  who  like  the  bird  in  spite  of  everything  said  against  it. 
It  is  not  true  that  they  drive  away  our  native  birds.  Until  lately 
every  plea  for  bird  protection  had  to  be  based  on  their  economic 
value.  The  aim  of  the  investigator  was  to  express  in  dollars  and 
cents  the  benefit  which  a  species  bestows  on  husbandry  by  des- 
troying its  enemies,  animal  and  vegetable.  On  the  other  hand 
he  had  to  find  out  exactly  what  injury  a  bird  does  to  man  by 
appropriating  things  belonging  to  him,  or  which  he  claims  as  his 
own  because  of  his  superiority  in  the  world  of  creation.  Now 
the  time  is  coming  when  one  can  plead  for  birds  on  esthetic 
grounds  without  asking,  does  the  actual  benefit  really  outweigh 
the  damage?  Or,  is  the  number  of  insects  killed  really  sufficiently 
large  to  pay  for  the  fruit  it  eats?  Or,  still  worse,  what  is  the 
percentage  of  beneficial  insects  in  the  insect  diet  of  each  par- 
ticular species?  Should  a  species  not  be  classed  among  the  nox- 
ious animals,  because  it  was  found  to  destroy  60  per  cent,  of 
beneficial  insects  against  only  40  per  cent,  of  injurious  ones? 

There  may  have  been  a  time  when  the  American  farmer  could 
ill  afford  to  lose  a  bushel  of  corn,  a  peck  of  cherries  or  something 
of  equally  small  value  with  which  to  pay  for  the  pleasure  of  being 
surrounded  by  bird  life  all  the  year  round.  May  be  he  lacked  the 
esthetic  sense  which  brings  the  greatest  happiness  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  beautiful.  At  present  there  are  many  willing  and 
even  eager  to  make  sacrifices  in  order  to  secure  the  opportunity 
for  the  purest  of  enjoyments,  the  admiration  of  the  wonderful 
works  of  creation,  and  certainly  not  the  least  among  them  is 
the  bird! 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     21 

Order  PYGOPODES.    Diving  Birds. 
Suborder  Podicipedes. 

Family  PODICIPIDAE.    Grebes. 
[1.  AECHMOPHORUS  OCCIDENTALIS  (Lawr.) — Western  Grebe.] 

Podiceps  occidentalis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  North  America  from  central  Mexico 
to  western  Manitoba,  Assiniboia,  Alberta  and  British  Columbia; 
eastward  casually  to  Ontario,  Wisconsin,  Nebraska,  Kansas. 
Breeds  from  North  Dakota  northward,  chiefly  in  Assiniboia  and 
Alberta.  Winters  mainly  along  the  Pacific  coast  from  British 
Columbia  southward. 

It  has  been  taken  near  Omaha,  Nebraska,  less  than  fifty  miles 
north  of  our  state  line,  also  at  Lawrence,  Kan.,  about  the  same 
distance  from  the  western  boundary  (November  3,  1887),  and 
probably  occurs  as  an  irregular  visitant  on  the  Missouri  River 
along  our  western  border. 

2.  COLYMBUS  HOLBOELLII  (Reinh.).    HolboelFs  Grebe. 

Podiceps  rubricollis.     Podiceps    griseigena  holboelli.      Podiceps  holboellii. 
Podiceps  cristatus.     American  Red-necked  Grebe. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  North  America,  Greenland  and  eastern 
Asia.  Breeds  from  lat.  46°  in  Minnesota  (Elbow  Lake  and 
Leech  Lake)  and  from  northern  North  Dakota  to  the  Arctic 
Ocean,  and  winters  in  the  United  States  to  South  Carolina  and 
southern  California. 

Was  taken  in  western  Missouri  by  Dr.  P.  R.  Hoy  in  the  spring 
of  1854  and  may  still  visit  our  state,  but  is  said  to  have  become 
rare  everywhere. 

3.  COLYMBUS  AURITUS  Linn.    Horned  Grebe. 

Podiceps  cornutus.    Dytes  auritus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  Hemisphere.  Breeds  from  northern 
Wisconsin  and  northern  Nebraska  northward,  and  winters  along 
the  Atlantic  and  Gulf  Coasts  and  in  California,  migrating  through 
the  United  States  at  large. 

Not  recorded  from  western  Missouri,  but  in  the  eastern  part 
of  the  state  formerly  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant  hi  April, 


22  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

October  and  November.    Two  males  in  Mr.  Hurter's  collection 
were  taken  April  13  and  November  27,  1877,  near  St.  Louis. 

4.  COLYMBUS  NIGRICOLLIS  CALiFORNicus  (Heerm.).    American 
Eared  Grebe. 

Colymbus  auritus.  Podiceps  auritus  (in  Nuttall  and  Audubon).  Podiceps 
auritus  calif ornicus  (in  Coues'  Key,  1872).  Colymbus  calif ornicus  (Grin- 
nell).  California  Grebe.  Horned  Grebe. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  North  America  from  the  Mississippi  to 
the  Pacific  and  from  Central  America  to  Great  Slave  Lake. 
Breeds  in  colonies  in  suitable  localities  throughout  its  range,  but 
has  suffered  greatly  from  persecution  by  plume  hunters. 

In  Missouri  formerly  a  common  transient  visitant  from  April 
9  to  May  3,  and  from  September  22  to  November  2,  but  much 
scarcer  now;  more  common  west  than  east. 

*6.  PODILYMBUS  PODICEPS  (Linn.).    Pied-billed  Grebe. 

Colymbus  podiceps.  Podiceps  carolinensis.  Carolina  Grebe.  Thick-billed 
Grebe.  Hell-diver.  Dabchick.  Dipper.  Water-witch. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  and  South  America  except  extreme 
northern  and  southern  parts.  Breeds  throughout  its  range. 
Winters  in  southern  states  and  southward. 

In  Missouri  by  far  the  commonest  of  the  family.  May  be 
found  in  its  migrations  in  spring  and  fall  on  all  waters,  on  rapidly 
flowing  rivers,  and  even  on  small  ponds.  The  first  arrive  in 
southeast  Missouri  early  in  March,  at  St.  Louis  the  last  of  March, 
and  in  northern  Missouri  early  in  April.  The  bulk  is  present  in 
April,  but  migration  lasts  till  early  in  May.  Fall  migration  takes 
place  from  the  middle  of  September  until  the  end  of  November, 
chiefly  in  October.  Formerly  a  common  breeder  in  all  reedy 
lakes  throughout  the  state,  but  with  drainage  and  persecution 
it  is  becoming  rarer  every  year. 

Suborder  Ceppbi.     Loons  and  Auks. 

Family  GAVIIDAE.    Loons. 
7.  GAVIA  IMBER  (Gunn.).    Loon. 

Urinator  immer.  Colymbus  torquatus.  Colymbus  glacialis.  Great  Northern 
Diver.  Walloon. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  part  of  northern  hemisphere.  Breeds 
from  northern  United  States  northward  to  Greenland  and  Alaska, 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     23 

and  winters  along  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  in  Lower  Cali- 
fornia ;  also  along  the  Atlantic  coast  from  Massachusetts  south- 
ward. 

During  their  migrations  Loons  are  sometimes  found  on  our 
larger  lakes  and  rivers  in  every  part  of  the  state  from  the  first 
week  of  April  to  the  first  of  May,  and  from  October  20  to  Novem- 
ber 20,  but  this  being  the  height  of  the  duck-hunting  season, 
they  cannot  stay  long  anywhere  and  pass  on  rapidly. 

9.  [GAVIA  ARCTIC  A  (Linn.).    Black-throated  Loon.] 

Urinator  arcticus.    Colynibus  arcticus.    Arctic  Loon.    Arctic  Diver. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  part  of  northern  hemisphere.  Breeds 
in  arctic  regions  and  migrates  south  in  winter  to  northern  United 
States  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  but  apparently  extremely 
rare  everywhere  on  this  continent.  Students  should  carefully 
examine  all  loons  in  winter  dress,  in  which  they  resemble  each 
other  extremely.  Size  is  too  variable  in  this  family  to  be  a  dis- 
tinguishing feature.  Red-throated  Loons  may  easily  be  separ- 
ated by  the  tarsus  being  longer  than  the  middle  toe  with  claw, 
but  the  Common  and  Black-throated  Loons,  so  different  in  their 
beautiful  summer  dress,  can  only  be  told  apart  by  exact  mea- 
surement of  the  distance  from  the  base  of  the  culmen  to  the 
anterior  point  of  the  loral  feathers,  which  is  greater  than  the 
distance  from  the  latter  point  to  the  anterior  border  of  the  nos- 
trils in  the  Common  Loon,  and  not  greater  in  the  Black-throated 
Loon. 

11.  GAVIA  LUMME  (Gunn.).    Red-throated  Loon. 

Urinator  lumme.    Colymbus  septentrionalis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  part  of  northern  hemisphere.  Breeds 
from  New  Brunswick  and  New  Foundland  to  Greenland  and 
through  the  arctic  regions  to  Alaska.  In  winter  south  to  United 
States,  coastwise  to  Florida  and  southern  California  and  in  the 
interior  chiefly  on  the  Great  Lakes  and  larger  rivers. 

Two  specimens  in  winter  dress  taken  November  3,  1902,  near 
New  Haven,  Mo.,  are  in  the  collection  of  Mr.  Chas.  Eimbeck. 
It  has  been  taken  twice  on  the  Missouri  near  Omaha  in 
spring  and  fall  (April  6,  1897  and  September  28,  1894)  and  Mr. 
W.  E.  Praeger  writes  me  that  there  is  a  mounted  specimen  in 
Keokuk  said  to  have  been  shot  on  the  Des  Moines  River  near 
Ottumwa,  la. 


24  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Order  LONGIPENNES.    Long-winged  Swimmers. 

Family  STERCORARIIDAE.    Skuas  and  Jaegers. 
37.  STERCORARIUS  PARASITICUS  (Linn.).    Parasitic  Jaeger. 

Lestris  Richardsonii.    Richardson's  Jaeger  (dark  phase). 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  part  of  northern  hemisphere.  Breeds 
from  Greenland  along  the  Arctic  sea-coast  to  the  Behring  Sea 
and  the  Aleutian  Islands.  In  winter  from  New  York,  Illinois 
and  California  southward  to  Brazil  and  in  the  Old  World  to 
South  Africa. 

In  migration  it  has  repeatedly  been  taken  in  Colorado,  in  Kan- 
sas (young  male  near  Lawrence,  October  10,  1898,  in  Nebraska, 
September  13,  1898,  near  Lincoln) ,  andMr.W.E.Praeger  has  in 
his  collection  an  immature  male  shot  on  the  Des  Moines  rapids 
October  6,  1896.  Mr.  J.  D.  Kastendieck  of  Billings,  Christian 
Co.,  Mo.,  has  in  his  collection  of  finely  mounted  birds  a  specimen 
taken  on  a  mill-pond  near  Billings  in  August  1905.  It  was  alive 
when  he  secured  it  and  he  kept  it  several  days,  feeding  it  on 
fresh  meat  and  large  insects,  which  it  took  eagerly  from  his  hand. 

.Family  LARIDAE.    Gulls  and  Terns. 

Subfamily  Larinae.    Gulls. 
40.  RISSA  TRIDACTYLA  (Linn.).    Kittiwake. 

Larus  tridactylits. 

Geog.  Dist. — Circumpolar  regions  in  summer.  In  America  in 
winter  south  to  the  Middle  States  and  Great  Lakes  (Wisconsin, 
Illinois,  Minnesota,  Wyoming  and  Colorado). 

As  a  rare  straggler  this  species  is  placed  in  our  list  by  Mr. 
John  A.  Bryant,  who  took  a  specimen  near  Kansas  City  in  1897. 

51.  LARUS  ARGENT ATUS  Briinn.    Herring  Gull. 

Larus  argentatus  smithsonianus.     American  Herring  Gull.     Sea  Gull. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  hemisphere,  including  the  whole  of 
North  America.  Breeds  from  Maine,  the  Great  Lakes,  Minne- 
sota and  British  Columbia  to  the  Arctic  Sea.  In  winter  along 
the  whole  coast  of  California,  the  Atlantic  coast,  the  Great  Lakes 
and  the  larger  rivers  south  to  the  Gulf  Coast,  Cuba  and  Mexico. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     25 

In  Missouri  the  Herring  Gull  is  a  transient  and  winter  visitant, 
most  common  in  early  spring  and  in  fall  from  October  20  to 
November  20.  On  the  Mississippi  and  lower  Missouri  Rivers 
it  may  be  seen  from  September  20  to  May  5  in  varying  numbers, 
leaving  us  entirely  only  when  the  rivers  are  frozen  and  returning 
with  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice.  It  frequents  the  lower  Missouri 
River,  but  is  rare  in  the  western  part  of  the  state. 

54.  LARUS  DELAWARENSIS  Ord.    Ring-billed  Gull. 

Larus  zonorhynchus  Richards.    Common  American  Gull. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America  at  large,  but  chiefly  in  the  in- 
terior. Breeds  from  the  northern  United  States  northward  and 
winters  coastwise  from  British  Columbia  and  Long  Island  south- 
ward, also  on  the  Lower  Mississippi  and  in  the  Gulf  States. 

In  Missouri  the  Ring-billed  Gull  is  a  common  transient  visitant 
in  March  and  April,  October  and  November.  It  is  much  more 
common  in  western  Missouri  than  the  Herring  Gull. 

59.  LARUS  FRANKLINII  Sw.  &  Rich.    Franklin's  Gull. 

Chroicocephalus  franklini.    Franklin's  Rosy  Gull. 

Geog.  Dist. — Interior  of  North  America,  migrating  chiefly 
west  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  breeding  from  northern  United 
States  northward,  mostly  in  the  prairie  region  of  Manitoba  and 
Assiniboia.  Winters  from  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  south- 
ward through  Mexico  and  Central  America  to  Peru. 

In  Missouri  formerly  a  regular  transient  visitant  throughout 
April  and  in  October  and  November;  now  rarely  seen  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  state. 

60.  LARUS  PHILADELPHIA  (Ord).    Bonaparte's  Gull. 

Larus  bonapartei.    Chroicocephalus  Philadelphia. 

Geog.  Dist. — Whole  of  North  America,  breeding  north  of  the 
United  States,  mostly  in  the  wooded  region  from  Hudson  Bay  to 
the  Yukon  marshes  and  British  Columbia.  In  winter  from  our 
southern  states  to  western  Mexico. 

In  eastern  Missouri  a  regular  transient  visitant,  formerly  com- 
mon, the  latter  part  of  March  and  early  in  April,  and  through 
October. 

62.  XEMA  SABINII  (Sab.).    Sabine's  Gull. 

Larus  sabinii.    Fork- tailed  Gull. 

Geog.   Dist. — Arctic   regions.    In  North  America  south  in 


26  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

winter  to  New  York,  the  Great  Lakes,  Great  Salt  Lake  and  Cali- 
fornia; casual  to  Montana,  Colorado,  Nebraska  (September); 
Iowa,  October  15,  1891,  and  October  12,  1894;  Kansas,  Bahama 
and  coast  of  Peru. 

It  finds  a  place  in  our  list  on  the  strength  of  three  specimens 
taken  by  Mr.  Chas.  K.  Worthen  of  Warsaw,  111.,  in  September 
1900,  on  the  Mississippi  River,  bounding  Clark  Co.,  Mo.,  in  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  state. 

Subfamily  Sterninae.    Terns. 
64.  STERNA  CASPIA  Pallas.    Caspian  Tern. 

Sterna  tschegrava. 

Geog.  Dist. — Nearly  cosmopolitan.  In  North  America  breed- 
ing locally  from  Newfoundland  to  Virginia,  and  in  colonies  on 
small  islands  in  Lake  Michigan,  in  Texas,  Louisiana  and  Nevada. 
In  migration  widely  scattered,  having  been  taken  in  Wyoming, 
Nebraska,  Minnesota,  Iowa,  Ohio,  etc. 

Mr.  Chas.  K.  Worthen  of  Warsaw,  111.,  writes  me  that  he  took 
Caspian  Terns  a  number  of  times  during  the  latter  part  of  May 
and  fore  part  of  June,  usually  while  flying  over  a  big  sandbar  in 
the  Mississippi  River  not  far  from  the  Missouri  shore.  Mr.  W. 
E.  Praeger  saw  Caspian  Terns  frequently  at  Keokuk  in  the  fall 
of  1887  and  '88  from  September  9  to  October  15.  Mr.  John  D. 
Kastendiek  has  a  fine  specimen  in  his  collection  of  mounted  birds. 
It  was  shot  on  the  mill  pond  at  Billings,  Christian  Co.,  about 
April  or  May,  1895. 

69.  STERNA  FORSTERI  Nuttall.    Forster's  Tern. 

Sterna  havelli.    Ha  veil's  Tern. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America  generally.  Breeds  locally  in  the 
United  States  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  but  chiefly  in  the 
interior  north  to  latitude  57°.  In  winter  southward  to  Brazil. 

In  Missouri,  both  east  and  west,  formerly  a  fairly  common, 
now  rather  rare,  transient  visitant  in  April  and  May,  and  again  in 
September  and  October. 

70.  STERNA  HIRUNDO  Linn.    Common  Tern. 

Sterna  wilsonii.    Sterna  fluviatilis.    Common  Sea  Swallow.    Wilson's  Tern. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  hemisphere.  In  America  chiefly  along 
the  Atlantic  coast  north  to  the  Arctic  coast  and  west  on  large 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     27 

lakes  to  Alberta.  Breeds  from  Arizona,  Texas  and  Florida 
northward.  Winters  from  Virginia  southward  and  along  the 
Gulf  coast  to  western  Mexico. 

In  Missouri  now  a  rare  transient  visitant  in  the  second  half  of 
May.  In  the  eastern  part  of  the  state  it  was  formerly  much 
more  common  than  in  the  western,  but  it  has  also  been  taken  at 
St.  Joseph  by  Mr.  Sidney  S.  Wilson  (May  28, 1895). 

*74.  STERNA  ANTILLARUM  (Less.).    Least  Tern. 

Sterna  minuta.     Sterna  argentea.     Sterna  supercttiaris.     Sterna  frenata. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  South  America,  northward  to  southern 
California,  Dakota  and  New  England,  breeding  throughout  its 
range,  and  wintering  south  of  the  United  States. 

The  Least  Tern  was  formerly  a  not  uncommon  summer  resi- 
dent on  sandbars  in  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  Rivers  from 
May  1  to  September  15,  but  none  have  been  seen  the  last  few 
years,  though  they  may  still  breed  in  small  numbers  within 
the  state. 

*77.  HYDROCHELIDON    NIGRA    SURINAMENSIS    (GMEL.).    Black 
Tern. 

Hydrochelidon  lariformis.     Sterna  nigra.     Hydrochelidon  fissipes.     Sterna 
fissipes.    Hydrochelidon  plumbea.    Short-tailed  Tern. 

Geog.  Dist. — Temperate  and  tropical  America  from  Alaska  to 
Chile  and  Brazil.  Breeds  from  the  middle  United  States  west  of 
the  Alleghanies  northward,  the  marshy  districts  of  Manitoba  and 
Assiniboia  being  its  chief  breeding  grounds  at  present. 

In  Missouri  the  Black  Tern  was  formerly  a  fairly  common 
breeder  in  marshy  regions,  but  it  is  now  rare  except  in  migra- 
tion, when  fairly  common  from  the  end  of  April  to  the  last  of 
May  and  in  August  and  September,  sometimes  to  October  21. 

Order  STEGANOPODES.    Totipalmate  Swimmers. 

Family  ANHINGIDAE.     Darters. 
*118.  ANHINGA  ANHINGA   (Linn.).    Anhinga. 

Plotus  anhinga.    PLotus  melanogaster.    Darter.    Snakebird.  Water  Turkey. 

Geog.  Dist. — Tropical  and  subtropical  America,  north  in 
United  States  to  South  Carolina  on  the  Atlantic  coast  and  south- 
ern Missouri  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 


28  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

With  drainage,  deforestation  and  settlement  of  swampy 
regions  this  species  is  fast  receding  southward.  Twenty  years 
ago  Mr.  E.  W.  Nelson  observed  the  Anhinga  in  the  vicinity  of 
Cairo,  where  Hennicott  had  reported  it  as  of  common  occurrence 
in  1865.  In  1896  it  was  still  a  fairly  common  summer  resident 
in  the  watery  region  of  Dunklin  and  Pemiskot  Counties,  but 
since  the  railroads  penetrated  the  Peninsula  in  all  directions  and 
made  it  easily  accessible  to  the  lumberman  and  hunter,  there  is 
little  hope  for  a  continuance  of  its  abode  in  Missouri,  though 
a  few  pairs  may  still  be  found  in  secluded  spots. 

Family  PHALACROCORACIDAE.    Cormorants. 

120.  PHALACROCORAX  DILOPHUS  (Swain.).    Double-crested  Cor- 
morant. 

Pelecanus  (Carbo}  dilophus.    Gracidus  dilophus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Great  Slave 
Lake,  east  to  Utah  and  Wyoming.  Breeds  chiefly  north  of 
United  States  and  winters  from  the  Gulf  States  southward. 

In  Missouri  Cormorants  are  still  common  in  migration  from  the 
middle  of  March  till  the  end  of  May  and  in  fall  from  September 
25  to  November  15,  chiefly  in  April  and  October.  They  are 
rarer  in  the  western  part  of  the  state. 

*120a.  PHALACROCORAX  DILOPHUS  FLORID  ANUS  (Aud.).    Florida 
Cormorant. 

Phalacrocorax  floridanus.     Southern  Double-crested  Cormorant. 

Geog.  Dist. — South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States  and  lower  Miss- 
issippi Valley  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio. 

In  the  Peninsula  of  Missouri  Cormorants  are  still  breeding  in 
considerable  numbers.  When  feeding  young  in  their  nests  in  the 
high  timber  along  the  Mississippi,  troops  of  them  are  continually 
flying  to  and  from  the  distant  feeding  grounds  in  the  bayous 
or  lakes  and  sloughs  in  the  Little  River  and  St.  Francis 
basin. 

[121.  PHALACROCORAX  MEXICANUS  (Brandt).    Mexican  Cormo- 
rant]. 

Carbo  mexicanus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Mexico,  Western  Gulf  States  and  lower  Missis- 
sippi  Valley  to  mouth  of  the  Ohio.  It  was  taken  near  Cairo  in  the 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     29 

spring  of  1879  and  twice  in  Kansas.     (April  2, 1872,  at  Lawrence, 
and  in  Mitchell  Co.) 

Being  a  very  common  summer  resident  in  several  sections  of 
Louisiana  it  seems  probable  that  roving  individuals,  following 
the  example  of  several  other  species  of  birds,  may  straggle  up  the 
Mississippi  Valley  into  our  state.  Students  should  be  on  the 
lookout  for  them  when  visiting  the  Peninsula  in  summer  or 
early  autumn. 

Family  PELECANIDAE.    Pelicans. 

125.  PELECANUS  ERYTHRORHYNCHOS  Gmel.    American   White 
Pelican. 

P.  americanus.    P.  trachyrhynchus.    P.  onocrotalus. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America;  rare  in  northeastern  states, 
common  in  the  interior;  north  to  Mackenzie  River,  lat.  61°. 
Breeds  from  Minnesota,  Great  Salt  Lake,  Utah  and  Eagle  Lake, 
Cal.,  northward.  Winters  south  of  United  States  to  Central 
America. 

In  Missouri  the  White  Pelican  is  a  regular  and  still  common 
transient  visitant  in  April,  September  and  October,  occurring  in 
large  flocks  on  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  Rivers,  where  it  finds 
a  safe  retreat  on  the  immense  sandbars  in  the  middle  of  these 
rivers.  For  feeding  purposes  it  visits  also  smaller  bodies  of 
water,  but  retires  to  the  large  rivers  for  rest  and  roost.  Small 
parties  are  sometimes  seen  in  summer  (May,  June,  July  and 
August) — individuals  which  either  did  not  get  to  breeding,  or 
have  been  disturbed  and  driven  from  their  nesting  grounds. 
In  his  Preliminary  Report  on  the  Animals  of  the  Mississippi 
Bottom  near  Quincy,  Mr.  H.  Garman  mentions  the  presence  of  a 
flock  of  forty  Pelicans  in  August  1888;  also  troops  of  Cormorants. 
This  tends  to  show  that  these  species  may  wander  about  before 
their  regular  time  for  migration  has  come.  From  the  notes  of 
early  explorers  it  is  evident  that  Pelicans  were  formerly  abundant 
along  the  lower  Missouri  River.  Under  date  of  April  28, 1833, 
Max,  Prince  zuWied  writes:  "One  hundred  or  more  Pelicans  go 
north  in  wedge  or  crescent  shape."  and  the  next  day,  April  29, 
1833,  he  saw  a  still  larger  flock.  Audubon  often  speaks  of  flocks 
of  Pelicans  when  he  went  up  the  Missouri  in  April,  1843,  and  saw 
some  as  late  as  May  9  near  the  corner  of  the  state.  Also  on  his 
way  back  in  October,  1843,  he  mentions  great  flocks  of  geese 


30  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

and  pelicans  on  the  10th  near  Leavenworth  and  an  abundance  of 
geese  and  pelicans  on  the  13th  near  Brunswick.  Mr.  Jasper 
Blines  of  Alexandria,  Mo.,  writes  in  Forest  and  Stream,  vol.  39, 
p.  294:  "On  September  25,  1892,  immense  flocks  of  pelicans 
appeared  along  the  Mississippi  (Clark  Co.)  pursuing  their  annual 
migration  southward.  One  flock  I  observed  was  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  in  length  and  contained  hundreds  of  these  great  birds. 
The  pelicans  are  the  only  wild  fowl  which  seem  to  maintain  their 
average  numbers." 

Order  ANSERES.    Lamellirostral  Swimmers. 

Family  ANATIDAE.    Ducks,  Geese  and  Swans. 

Subfamily  Merginae.    Mergansers. 

129.  MERGANSER   AMERICANUS    (Cass.).    American   Merganser. 

MergvA  americanus.    Mergus  merganser.    American  Sheldrake.  Fish  Duck. 
Goosander.    Buff-breasted  Sheldrake. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America  generally.  Breeds  now  chiefly 
from  Newfoundland,  Labrador  and  British  Columbia  northward, 
locally  also  in  northern  United  States,  and  sparingly  in  the 
mountainous  regions  of  the  West.  Winters  through  the  southern 
United  States  to  the  Gulf  coast. 

In  Missouri  the  Merganser  is  a  common  transient  visitant  and 
one  of  the  earliest  migrants  in  spring,  coming  as  soon  as  the  ice 
breaks  up;  some  remain  in  mild  winters. 

130.  MERGANSER  SERRATOR  (Linn.).    Red-breasted  Merganser. 

Mergus  serrator.    Red-breasted  Sheldrake.    Fishduck, 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  portion  of  northern  hemisphere. 
Breeds  from  Newfoundland  and  Greenland  through  the  wooded 
region  to  the  Aleutian  Islands;  south  sparingly  to  the  northern 
United  States.  Winters  in  the  United  States,  mostly  coastwise, 
rare  in  the  interior. 

A  specimen,  of  this,  in  Missouri  apparently  rare  species,  was 
taken  near  Kansas  City,  April  20,  1902,  by  Mr.  John  A.  Bryant. 
Mr.  W.  E.  Praeger  took  two  females  near  Keokuk,  February  14, 
1890,  and  Mr.  Edmonde  S.  Currier  of  Keokuk  gives  the  following 
dates:  February  21  and  23,  1892,  March  28,  1899,  May  4,  1902, 
October  19,  1902,  November  12,  1896. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  31 
*131.  LOPHODYTES  CUCULLATUS  (Linn.).  Hooded  Merganser. 

Mergus  cucidlatus.    Sawbill.    Hooded  Sheldrake.    Fishduck. 

Geog.  Dist. — Whole  North  America;  breeding  through  most 
of  its  range;  south  in  winter  to  Cuba  and  Mexico;  a  few  remain 
in  the  southern  states. 

In  Missouri  the  Hooded  Merganser  is,  in  favorable  localities, 
a  fairly  common  summer  resident  from  early  in  March  till  No- 
vember. The  heavily  wooded  bottoms  of  the  larger  rivers  and 
the  swampy  southeastern  counties  are  the  breeding  grounds  of 
this  species,  often  mistaken  for  Wood  Ducks,  especially  the 
females  and  young  ones,  sometimes  even  the  males,  the  dress  of 
which  is  much  plainer  in  summer  than  in  early  spring.  More 
common  and  generally  distributed  are  the  transient  visitants  in 
spring  and  fall.  Some  stay  in  mild  winters,  but  as  a  rule  the  last 
leave  the  state  in  December  and  return  in  March. 

Subfamily  Anatinae.    River  Ducks. 
*132.  ANAS  BOSH  AS  Linn.   Mallard. 

Anas  domestica. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  hemisphere.  Breeds  chiefly  north  of 
United  States  from  Greenland  to  Alaska.  Formerly  a  breeder  in 
most  of  the  United  States  west  of  the  Alleghanies  and  north  of  the 
Ohio  Valley,  it  is  now  rare  in  the  Eastern,  but  still  common  in 
some  of  the  Western  States.  Winters  through  the  Southern 
States  to  central  Mexico  and  Lower  California,  rarely  to  Central 
Auinerica  and  Cuba. 

In  Missouri  the  Mallard  is  a  very  common  transient  visitant; 
in  spring  from  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice  in  January  or  February  to 
about  April  25,  most  numerous  in  the  second  and  third  week  of 
March;  in  fall  from  early  in  September  to  the  middle  of  Decem- 
ber. The  bulk  generally  does  not  come  before  October  10  to 
northern  Missouri,  and  not  before  October  20  to  the  southeast, 
and  leaves  the  former  about  November  20  and  the  latter  nearly  a 
month  later.  Many  remain  in  open  winters,  and  even  in  severe 
winters  a  few  are  known  to  have  wintered  in  northern  Missouri, 
taking  refuge  in  air  holes  caused  by  warm  springs  in  rivers  and 
visiting  cornfields  in  the  daytime.  A  few  pairs  still  find  safe 
breeding  grounds  in  the  large  tracts  of  spartina  grass  in  the 
marshes  of  north  Missouri,  but,  as  the  open  season  for  duck 


32  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

shooting  is  now  extended  to  the  first  of  May,  there  is  no  hope 
for  an  increase  in  their  numbers. 

133.  ANAS  OBSCURA  Gmel.     Black  Duck. 

Black  Mallard.    Dusky  Duck. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  breeding  formerly  in  the 
northern  United  States  east  of  the  Mississippi  River,  now  chiefly 
from  Newfoundland  and  the  Maritime  Provinces  to  Hudson  Bay 
and  west  to  the  Red  River.  In  migration  it  has  been  found  as 
far  west  as  eastern  Nebraska  and  eastern  Kansas.  Its  chief 
winter  home  is  on  the  Atlantic  coast  from  Long  Island  to  northern 
Florida,  though  quite  a  number  winter  in  Louisiana. 

In  Missouri  the  Black  Duck  is  sometimes,  though  rather  rarely, 
taken  with  Mallards  in  their  migrations  to  and  from  their  winter 
habitat.  Dates  of  their  capture  run  from  March  10  to  April  10  and 
from  October  13  to  December  1. 

133a.  ANAS  OBSCURA  RUBRIPES  Brewster.     Red-legged  Black 

Duck. 

Geog.  Dist. — The  breeding  range  of  this  lately  separated  sub- 
species includes  northern  Labrador  and  the  Hudson  Bay  region. 
The  southern  limit  has  not  yet  been  determined.  It  winters 
somewhat  farther  north  than  the  Black  Duck,  as  far  north  as 
Nova  Scotia  and  as  far  south  as  South  Carolina.  In  migration 
it  has  been  taken  as  far  west  as  Nebraska,  and  as  far  south  as 
Mississippi  Co.,  Arkansas  (Nov.  5,  1887),  but  nothing  is  known 
of  its  winter  home  in  the  interior. 

A  specimen  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Emmett  Cole  of  Malta 
Bend  was  taken  in  Saline  Co.  and,  if  students  will  pay  more 
attention  to  the  separation  of  the  different  subspecies,  this 
more  northern  form  of  Black  Duck  will  probably  be  found  to 
be  a  regular  transient  visitant  in  our  state. 

135.  CHAULELASMUS  STREPERUS  Linn.    Gadwall. 

Anas  strepera.    Gray  Duck. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  hemisphere.  The  breeding  range  in 
America  extended  formerly  from  the  upper  Mississippi  Valley  to 
the  Pacific,  now  chiefly  through  the  prairie  region  of  Canada, 
north  to  lat.  68°,  and  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  west  to  British 
Columbia,  south  to  Colorado  and  nearly  throughout  California. 
It  is  rare,  even  as  a  mere  straggler,  in  Ontario  and  Quebec  and 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri,     33 

the  northern  Atlantic  States.  It  winters  from  North  Carolina  to 
Florida,  but  chiefly  in  the  lower  Mississippi  Valley  and  thence 
westward  to  Central  Mexico  and  Lower  California. 

In  Missouri  the  Gadwall  is  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant 
from  the  last  of  February  to  the  end  of  April,  when  they  are 
generally  found  in  pairs.  They  used  to  be  summer  residents  in 
northern  Missouri,  and  only  a  few  years  ago  were  considered  rare 
breeders  in  Clark  Co.,  Mo.,  by  Mr.  Ed.  S.  Currier  of  Keokuk,  la. 
In  the  southward  migration  they  appear  about  the  middle  of 
October  and  remain  in  the  southeast  well  into  December. 

136.  MARECA  PENELOPE  Linn.    Widgeon. 

Anas  penelope. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  part  of  Old  World  and  Aleutian  Islands. 
In  America  a  frequent  straggler,  chiefly  along  the  Atlantic  coast 
from  Greenland  and  Newfoundland  to  Florida.  In  the  interior  it 
has  been  reported  from  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Michigan,  Wiscon- 
sin, and  Nebraska.  On  the  Pacific  coast  it  has  occurred  several 
times  in  California,  British  Columbia  and  Alaska.  A  remarkable 
fact  is,  that,  while  the  Atlantic  coast  records  are  nearly  all  made 
in  winter  (October  20  to  February  5)  and  none  later  than  March 
25,  those  of  the  interior  are  all  made  in  spring  (March  23  to 
April  18). 

Mr.  Frank  Schwarz  of  St.  Louis  mounted  a  male  which  was 
killed  by  a  hunter  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis,  April  10,  1905. 

137.  MARECA  AMERICANA  Gmel.    Baldpate. 

Anas  americana.     American  Widgeon. 

Geog.  Dist. — Whole  of  North  America  with  the  exception  of  its 
northeastern  part,  being  only  a  straggler  north  of  the  Great 
Lakes  and  Chesapeake  Bay.  Breeds  sparingly  on  the  plains  of 
Kansas,  Nebraska  and  South  Dakota,  more  commonly  in  Colo- 
rado, Utah  and  Nevada  (formerly  east  to  Indiana  and  Wisconsin), 
now  chiefly  from  Minnesota,  North  Dakota,  Manitoba  and  Ascdni- 
boia  northwestward  to  the  Arctic  circle.  In  Alaska  to  Kotzebue 
Sound.  South  to  Oregon.  It  winters  in  California,  and  in  the 
East  from  Virginia  and  the  Ohio  River  to  Cuba,  Mexico  and 
Guatemala. 

In  Missouri  the  Baldpate  is  a  common  transient  visitant.  It 
is  present  in  spring  from  the  last  of  February  in  the  southeast, 
and  from  the  middle  of  March  in  the  north,  to  the  middle  of 


34  Trans.  A  cad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

April,  occasionally  to  the  end  of  the  month  (April  28,  1904, 
Kansas  City,  Bryant).  Those  seen  in  April  are  generally  in 
pairs.  In  fall  migration  they  reach  us  early  in  October,  are 
common  from  October  10  to  November  20;  some  linger  on  the 
southeastern  waters  well  into  winter. 

Some  writers  use  the  term  "  wintering  "  when  a  species  is  seen 
in  every  month  of  winter,  but  this  is  misleading.  Many  birds 
stay  with  us  until  the  first  part  of  January  when  the  severest 
period  of  winter  begins,  are  gone  for  over  a  month,  but  return  to 
us  before  the  end  of  February,  at  which  time  the  strength  of  win- 
ter is  broken  and  the  ice  of  the  rivers  has  moved  out. 

139.  NETTION  CAROLINENSIS  (GmeL).    Green-winged  Teal. 

Anas  crecca.     Anas  carolinensis.     Querquedula  carolinensis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Whole  of  North  America.  Breeds  from  New 
Brunswick,  Newfoundland  and  Labrador  west  to  British  Colum- 
bia, northwest  to  Kotzebue  Sound  and  throughout  the  Aleutian 
Islands,  north  to  Mackenzie  River.  Also  in  the  mountains  of  the 
western  United  States,  and  formerly  in  many  localities  of  the 
Eastern  States  from  northern  Illinois  and  Nebraska  northward. 
At  present  the  main  breeding  grounds  extend  from  Manitoba 
northwestward  to  Lake  Athabaska.  It  winters  along  the  Pacific 
coast  from  British  Columbia  to  Jalisco  and  through  the  southern 
Atlantic  and  Gulf  States  to  southern  Mexico,  rarely  to  Cuba  and 
Honduras. 

In  Missouri  the  Green-winged  Teal  is  a  very  common  transient 
visitant.  It  returns  to  the  southeast  soon  after  the  middle  of 
February,  to  the  marshes  of  north  Missouri  and  the  western  part 
of  the  state  about  the  first  of  March.  The  bulk  is  present  from 
March  10  to  25,  but  the  last  has  not  left  the  state  before  a  month 
later.  In  autumn  the  first  begin  to  reappear  between  September 
15  and  22  and  from  the  end  of  the  month  to  the  middle  of  No- 
vember they  may  be  found  in  many  parts  of  the  state.  They  are 
mostly  all  gone  by  the  middle  of  December,  but  in  mild  winters 
a  few  may  be  found  in  January. 

140.  QUERQUEDULA  DISCORS  (Linn.).    Blue- winged  Teal. 

Anas  discors. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America,  chiefly  east  of  Rocky  Mountains 
and  west  of  Great  Lakes.  Breeds  locally  from  northern  Ohio, 
southern  Indiana,  Missouri,  Texas  and  New  Mexico,  but  mainly 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     35 

from  northern  United  States  northward  to  Saskatchewan; 
rarely  east  to  New  England  and  Newfoundland  and  Labrador, 
or  west  to  Nevada,  central  Oregon,  British  Columbia  and 
Alaska.  It  winters  from  the  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States  south 
through  the  West  Indies  and  Mexico  to  Central  and  northern 
South  America  as  far  as  Brazil  and  Chile. 

In  Missouri  it  is  a  very  common  transient  visitant.  The  first 
reach  the  southeast  early  in  March,  sometimes  even  in  February. 
On  the  marshes  near  St.  Louis  the  first  are  usually  taken  between 
the  10th  and  17th  of  March  and  in  northern  Missouri  about  a 
week  later.  The  bulk  is  present  from  March  15  to  April  15  and 
the  last  transients  are  found  about  April  25.  Pairs  seen  in  the 
latter  part  of  April  or  in  May  intend  to  remain  and  would  breed 
if  let  alone ;  but,  as  they  are  hunted  wherever  seen,  they  probably 
succeed  but  seldom  in  rearing  a  brood.  The  last  instance  of  eggs 
being  found  in  the  state  is  given  by  Mr.  E.  S.  Currier,  who  states 
that  on  May  23,  1889,  a  nest  was  found  by  boys  in  Clark  Co.,  and 
an  egg  was  brought  to  Mr.  F.  M.  Crawford  at  Way  land.  A  pair  of 
Bluewings  was  seen  by  me  June  17,  1906,  near  Malta  Bend, 
Saline  Co.,  and  others  in  the  same,  month  near  Peruque,  St. 
Charles  Co.  The  first  flocks  of  southbound  Bluewings  have  been 
seen  in  northern  Missouri  on  the  first  of  September,  but  the  bulk 
is  with  us  from  September  15  to  October  25,  and  some  linger  for 
another  month  (November  22,  1905,  St.  Charles  Co.). 

141.  QUERQUEDULA  CYANOPTERA  (Vieillot).    Cinnamon  Teal. 
Anus  cyanoptera.     Red-breasted  Teal. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  America  from  Mexico  to  British  Co- 
lumbia and  from  Peru  to  the  Straits  of  Magellan  and  the  Falkland 
Islands.  Breeds  east  to  Wyoming  and  southern  Texas,  straggling 
in  migration  into  the  Mississippi  Valley,  and  wintering  south  of 
the  United  States,  chiefly  in  Mexico. 

An  occasional  straggler  in  Missouri  it  has  been  taken  as  far  east 
as  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis,  as  several  mounted  specimens  in 
private  collections  attest.  It  is  said  to  occur  with  flocks  of  Blue- 
winged  Teals. 

142.  SPATULA  CLYPEATA  (Linn.).    Shoveller. 

Anas  dypeata.     Spoon-bill.    Spoon-billed  Duck. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  hemisphere;  in  America,  rare  on  the 
Atlantic  coast  north  of  the  Potomac,  common  from  Indiana 


36  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

westward  to  California.  Breeding  formerly  in  most  of  its  range, 
it  is  now  restricted  in  the  United  States  to  western  plains  and 
mountain  parks.  In  Canada  it  breeds  from  Manitoba  west  to 
central  British  Columbia  and  northwest  to  Kotzebue  Sound, 
being  most  abundant  between  51°  and  54°  lat.  It  winters  from 
Virginia  to  Georgia  and  through  the  Gulf  states  to  Mexico  and 
Guatemala,  rarely  to  Florida  and  the  West  Indies  or  South 
America. 

In  Missouri  the  Shoveller  is  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant 
from  March  10  to  April  25  and  from  October  1  to  November  20. 
In  mild  weather  earlier  and  later  dates  have  been  obtained  in 
central  Missouri  (February  20,  1903,  New  Haven,  Dr.  Eimbeck, 
and  December  4,  1902,  St.  Charles  Co.),  and  in  southeastern 
Missouri  some  have  been  taken  in  January.  The  Shoveller  is 
known  to  have  bred  in  the  state  (Clark  Co.,  B.  S.  Currier),  and 
even  now  pairs  are  seen  late  in  April  or  even  in  May  (May  16, 
1905,  Warrensburg),  which  would  probably  breed,  if  conditions 
were  favorable. 

143.  DAFILA  ACUTA  (Linn.).    Pintail. 

Anas  acuta.    Anas  caudacuta.     Sprig.     Sprigtail. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  hemisphere;  breeding  sparingly  in 
western  United  States,  but  chiefly  from  Manitoba,  Assiniboia  and 
British  Columbia  northward  to  the  Arctic  coast,  rarely  eastward 
from  Hudson  Bay  to  New  Brunswick.  It  is  the  commonest  duck 
in  Alaska.  It  winters  from  Virginia  and  Louisiana  southward 
to  Cuba  and  through  Mexico  to  Costa  Rica,  rarely  to  Panama. 
Also  along  the  Pacific  coast  from  British  Columbia  south  through 
California. 

In  Missouri  the  Sprig,  as  it  is  commonly  called,  is  a  very  com- 
mon transient  visitant  in  spring  and  fall,  lingering  long  with  us 
in  spring,  but  passing  through  rapidly  in  fall.  Flocks  of  Sprigs 
may  be  found  in  one  part  of  the  state  or  another  from  the  end  of 
January  to  April  20,  and  from  October  1  to  December  15,  more 
commonly  from  March  1  to  25,  and  from  October  10  to  November 
25.  With  Mallards  the  Sprigs  are  the  first  ducks  to  return  to 
us  as  soon  as  the  snow  disappears  from  the  ground  and  before  the 
ice  has  broken  up  in  the  lakes  or  left  the  rivers.  They  appeared 
near  St.  Louis  February  24,  1905,  three  days  before  the  ice 
broke  up  in  the  Mississippi  and  only  four  days  after  the  first 
thaw  followed  one  of  our  severest  winters,  in  which  the  ground 
was  covered  for  four  weeks  with  a  solid  sheet  of  icy  snow.  The 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     37 

first  appear  even  at  our  northern  state  line  seldom  later  than  the 
end  of  February. 

*144.  Aix  SPONSA  (Linn.).    Wood  Duck. 

Anas  sponsa.     Dendronessa  sponsa.     Summer  Duck. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America  from  latitude  54°  southward  to 
Cuba  and  southern  California.  Breeds  through  most  of  its  range 
and  winters  in  the  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States  and  in  Cali- 
fornia, returning  early  to  the  breeding  grounds. 

As  a  transient  visitant  it  is  still  fairly  common  from  March  15 
to  April  20,  and  from  October  20  to  November  25.  It  is  also  a 
fairly  common  summer  resident  in  all  heavily  wooded  river 
bottoms,  especially  in  those  of  the  Peninsula,  and  many  succeed 
in  rearing  broods  in  spite  of  continuous  persecution.  In  August 
and  September  gatherings  of  from  75  to  100  birds  may  yet  be 
found  in  favorite  secluded  spots  in  our  river  bottoms,  to  which 
they  repair  daily  for  weeks,  if  not  disturbed  too  much.  They 
are  early  breeders,  and  young  out  of  nest  may  be  met  with  in  the 
second  week  of  May. 

Subfamily  Fuligulinae.    River  Ducks. 

146.  AYTHYA  AMERICANA  (Eyt.).    Redhead. 

Anas  ferina.    Fidigida  ferina.    Fuligula  americana.    Pochard. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America  to  about  latitude  54°,  rare  on  the 
North  Atlantic  coast.  Breeds  from  southern  California  sparingly 
to  British  Columbia  and  locally  from  Nebraska  northward,  most 
numerously  in  the  reedy  marshes  of  Manitoba,  Assiniboia, 
Alberta  and  Saskatchewan.  It  winters  from  the  coast  of  British 
Columbia  and  from  the  Potomac  through  the  southern  states 
southward  to  southern  Mexico. 

In  Missouri  the  Redhead  is  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant 
from  March  1  to  April  10,  exceptionally  earlier  in  February  and 
even  in  January,  or  later  (April  19, 1894,  Currier)  and  in  fall  from 
October  15  to  December  1.  While  abundant  in  large  flocks  in 
spring,  it  is  less  often  met  with  in  the  fall. 

147.  AYTHYA  VALLISNERI A  (Wils.).    Canvas-back. 

Anas  vallisneria.     Fuligida  valisneria.     White-back. 

Geog.  Dist. — Whole  of  North  America;  rare  on  north  Atlantic 
coast,  more  plentiful  from  Quebec  and  Ontario  westward  to 


38  Trans.  A  cad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Alberta,  where  most  abundant;  northwestward  to  Sitka.  Breeds 
locally  from  Minnesota,  North  Dakota,  Colorado  and  Nevada 
northward.  Winters  from  Fraser  River  to  Mazatlan  and  from 
Chesapeake  Bay  and  the  Ohio  River  southward  through  the 
southern  states  to  central  Mexico. 

Though  not  rare  the  Canvas-back  is  a  less  regular  transient 
visitant  in  Missouri  than  the  Redhead  and  in  smaller  troops. 
It  occurs  sometimes  in  February,  but  mostly  between  March  1 
and  April  15,  and  in  fall  from  October  25  to  December  10, 
oftenest  from  the  middle  to  the  end  of  November. 

148.  AYTHYAMARILA  (Linn.).    Scaup  Duck. 

Aythya  marila  nearctica.  Anasmarila.  Fuligula  marila.  Fulix  marila 
Big  Black-head.  Big  Blue-bill. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  hemisphere;  in  America  breeding  from 
Minnesota  and  British  Columbia  throughout  northwestern  Canada 
to  Kotzebue  Sound  and  the  Aleutian  Islands,  more  commonly 
northward.  Winters  from  the  Aleutian  Islands  along  the  Pa- 
cific coast  almost  to  Mexico,  in  the  lower  Mississippi  Valley  and 
abundantly  from  Long  Island  to  Chesapeake  Bay,  less  commonly 
along  the  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  coast  to  southern  Texas. 

Like  the  Canvas-back,  and  even  more  so,  the  Big  Blue-bill  is 
irregular  in  its  appearance  in  Missouri,  and  never  occurs  in  large 
flocks  like  its  smaller  cousin.  Available  dates  of  its  capture  on  the 
marshes  of  northeastern  Missouri  range  from  February  28  to 
April  1  (One  taken  May  18  was  probably  a  cripple) .  In  fall  from 
November  10  to  December  5. 

149.  AYTHYA  AFFINIS  (Eyt.).    Lesser  Scaup  Duck. 

Fuligula  affinis.  Fulix  affinis.  Fuligula  mariloides.  Fuligula  minor. 
Fuligula  marila  in  Audubon's  works.  Little  Blue-bill.  Little  Black- 
head. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America,  breeding  from  the  northern 
border  of  the  United  States  northward  through  the  prairie  region 
to  the  Arctic  Circle,  and  from  Hudson  Strait  to  the  Yukon 
River;  rarely  in  northern  United  States  and  on  the  Pacific  coast. 
It  winters  in  the  South  Atlantic  States  and  southward  to  the 
Greater  Antilles ;  it  is  especially  common  along  the  Gulf  coast  to 
Guatemala;  less  common  in  California. 

In  Missouri  the  Blue-bill  is  a  very  common  transient  visitant, 
occurring  in  large  flocks  from  the  last  of  February  to  the  middle 
of  April,  and  from  October  1  to  December  5.  Earliest  for  St. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     39 

Charles  Co.,  February  16,  1904;  latest  December  4,  1902.  Ear- 
liest for  Clark  Co.  (Currier),  February  21,  1892;  latest  in  spring, 
April  25,  1897;  in  fall,  December  5,  1899.  Pairs  are  occasionally 
seen  in  summer  (June  18,  1901,  Clark  Co.,  Currier,  and  June  17, 
1906,  in  Saline  Co.),  but  whether  they  breed  has  not  been  ascer- 
tained. 

150.  AYTHYA  COLLARIS  (Donov.).    Ring-necked  Duck. 

Anas  collaris.  Fulix  collaris.  Fuligula  collaris.  Anas  fuligida.  Anas 
(Fuligula)  rufitorques.  Ring-neck.  Ring-bill.  Blackjack. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America,  rare  on  North  Atlantic  Coast. 
Breeding  from  southern  Minnesota  and  North  Dakota  northward 
to  Lake  Athabasca;  sparingly  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
In  winter  chiefly  along  the  Gulf  Coast  to  Central  America  and 
Cuba;  north  to  the  Carolinas  and  the  Ohio  River. 

The  Blackjack  is  a  very  common  transient  visitant  in  Missouri. 
The  first  arrive  from  the  south  about  a  week  after  the  first  Mal- 
lards and  Sprigs  have  come.  In  short  winters  the  species  may  be 
absent  a  few  weeks  only.  In  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis  the  first 
have  been  noted  February  18, 1898;  in  some  years  they  were  not 
seen  before  the  middle  of  March,  but  usually  varying  numbers 
are  frequenting  the  marshes  of  northeastern  Missouri  from  March 
10  to  April  10,  sometimes  to  the  end  of  the  month  (April  28, 1893, 
Clark  Co.,  Currier).  Their  presence  in  fall  is  also  governed 
largely  by  the  weather  conditions.  In  1903  they  were  plentiful 
in  St.  Charles  Co.  from  October  3  till  December  4;  in  other 
years  they  came  as  late  as  October  20  and  were  gone  a  month 
later. 

151.  CLANGULA    CLANGULA    AMERICANA    (Bonap.).      American 
Golden-eye. 

Glaucionetta  clangida  americana.  Fuligula  clangula.  Bucephala  amer- 
icana.  Anas  clangula  (in  Wilson).  Clangida  glaucium.  Clangula  vul- 
garis.  Bucephala  clangula.  Whistler.  Great  Head.  Garrot.  Whistle- 
wing. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America;  breeding  from  Newfoundland, 
New  England,  northern  Michigan,  North  Dakota,  Montana  and 
British  Columbia  northward  in  wooded  regions  to  the  Mackenzie 
River  and  Alaska.  It  winters  abundantly  on  the  Atlantic  coast 
from  the  British  Provinces  to  South  Carolina,  along  the  Pacific 
coast,  and  less  commonly  on  the  Gulf  coast. 

In  Missouri  the  Whistle-wing  is  a  frequent  transient  or  winter 


40  Trans.  A  cad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

visitant  on  the  larger  rivers.  At  Keokuk,  which  is  situated  on 
the  Mississippi  River  at  the  foot  of  the  rapids,  Mr.  E.  S.  Currier 
had  the  opportunity  to  observe  it  every  winter  for  eleven  years 
and  found  it  in  flocks  of  from  30  to  100,  sometimes  much  more 
numerous,  as  on  January  17,  1903,  and  March  5,  1895,  when  a 
thousand  were  present.  His  dates  of  those  first  seen  vary  from 
November  9,  1895,  to  December  4, 1892,  and  those  for  last  seen 
from  January  17, 1903,  to  April  7, 1899.  A  female  in  the  Hurter 
collection  was  taken  near  St.  Louis,  January  1, 1875. 

152.  CLANGULA  ISLANDICA  (Gmel.).    Barrow's  Golden-eye. 

Glaucionetta  islandica.     Anas  islandica.     Rocky  Mountain  Garrot. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  North  America;  breeding  from  moun- 
tains of  western  United  States  and  from  Bay  of  Fundy  to  Green- 
land and  Alaska.  It  winters  around  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence, 
in  the  northern  United  States,  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  on  the 
Pacific  coast  south  to  central  California. 

Mr.  E.  S.  Currier  gives  the  species  as  rare,  but  occurring  amongst 
the  immense  number  of  Golden-eyes  which  winter  on  the  Des 
Moines  rapids.  Mr.  W.  E.  Praeger  obtained  a  female  shot  March 
27,  1888,  on  Lima  Lake,  111.,  a  few  miles  east  of  the  state  line. 
In  a  letter  sent  to  Mr.  R.  Ridgway  and  published  in  Forest  and 
Stream,  vol.  36,  p.  435,  Mr.  Frank  W.  Sparks  of  St.  Louis  writes 
under  date  of  February  10,  1891:  "This  fall,  while  shooting  at 
the  same  place  (New  Albany,  southeast  Missouri)  I  killed  a 
specimen  of  Barrow's  Golden-eye.  Unfortunately  this  duck,  or 
more  properly  drake,  was  half  picked  by  one  of  the  boys  in  camp 
when  I  discovered  it.  He  is  rare  so  far  east,  is  he  not?"  To  this 
Mr.  R.  Ridgway  replied:  "Regarding  your  capture  of  Barrow's 
Golden-eye  in  Missouri,  this  is  not  so  remarkable,  as  specimens 
have  previously  been  taken  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis,  in  Kansas 
and  southern  Illinois.  These  localities  represent,  however, 
about  the  southern  limit  of  the  winter  range  of  the  species, 
which  is  a  northern  and  not  a  western  bird,  as  you  seem  to  regard 
it." 

153.  CHARITONETTA  ALBEOLA  (Linn.).    Buffle-head. 

Anasalbeola.    Fuligula  albeola.     Clangula     albeola.     Bucephala    albeola. 
Butterball.    Dipper. 

Geog.  Dist.— North  America;  breeds  from  Maine,  Ontario, 
Wisconsin,  Wyoming  and  British  Columbia  northward  in  all  the 
forest  country  to  the  upper  Yukon.  In  winter  along  all  coasts 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     41 

of  the  United  States,  and  less  regularly  on  the  Great  Lakes  and 
larger  rivers  of  the  interior ;  south  to  Mexico  and  Lower  California. 
In  Missouri  the  Butterball  is  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant 
in  early  spring  and  late  fall.  It  is  sometimes  taken  in  February, 
even  in  the  western  and  northern  part  of  the  state  (February  5, 
1904,  Kansas  City,  Bryant;  February  22,  1885,  Keokuk,  Prae- 
ger),  but  small  troops  are  met  with  most  frequently  between 
March  1  and  April  10,  exceptionally  later  (May  4,  1892,  Keokuk, 
Currier).  In  fall  the  earliest  record  is  October  10,  1904,  (Kansas 
City,  Bryant)  and  the  latest  December  4, 1892  (Keokuk,  Currier). 
The  largest  number  of  dates  were  obtained  between  October  10 
and  November  20. 

154.  HARELDA  HYEMALIS  (Linn.).    Old-squaw. 

Anas  hyemalis.     Clangula  hyemalis.     Harelda  glacialis.     Anas  glacialis. 
Anas  longicauda.     Long-tailed  Duck.     South-southerly.     Old-wife. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  hemisphere;  breeding  along  the  Arctic 
coast,  and  wintering  from  the  Aleutian  chain  down  the  whole 
Pacific  coast  to  California,  and  on  the  Atlantic  coast  from  St. 
Lawrence  to  North  Carolina;  less  regularly  on  the  Great  Lakes 
and  larger  rivers  of  the  interior  south  to  the  Ohio  River,  excep- 
tionally even  to  Louisiana  (February  28,  1885,  and  February  13, 
1899). 

In  Missouri  an  irregular  winter  visitant  between  November  20 
and  April  1.  Old  birds  are  always  rare,  but  young  birds  are  some- 
times common. 

155.  HISTRIONICUS  HISTRIONICUS  (Linn.).    Harlequin  Duck. 

Anas  histrionica.     Fuligula  histrionica.     Histrionicus  torquatus.     Histrion- 
icus  minitus.     Anas  minuta. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  North  America,  Iceland  and  Eastern 
Asia.  Breeds  in  America  from  Newfoundland,  Labrador  and  the 
east  coast  of  Greenland,  south  of  the  Arctic  Circle,  on  rapid 
streams  of  the  interior  west  to  Alaska  and  British  Columbia,  and 
in  the  mountains  of  the  western  United  States  south  to  lat.  38°. 
In  winter  irregularly  to  the  northern  United  States  from  the 
coast  of  Maine  to  California,  but  everywhere  rare  and  apparently 
on  the  decrease. 

In  Missouri  a  rare  winter  visitant.  One  was  taken  March  21, 
1897,  in  Montgomery  Co.  by  Mr.  E.  M.  Parker,  and  another, 
taken  near  St.  Louis,  October  29,  is  in  the  Hurter  collection. 


42  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Near  Omaha,  Neb.,  it  has  been  taken  as  early  as  September  16, 
1893,  and  September  19, 1895  (Osprey  vol.  3,  p.  131). 

[162.  SOMATERIA  SPECTABILIS  (Linn.).    King  Eider]. 

Fuligula  spectabilis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  part  of  northern  hemisphere.  Breeds 
in  Arctic  region  from  the  Atlantic  to  Pacific ;  in  America  in  winter 
south  to  New  Jersey  and  the  Great  Lakes,  rarely  south  to  Georgia 
and  California. 

Mr.  Wm.  E.  Praeger  has  in  his  collection  a  young  male  which 
was  shot  on  the  Mississippi  River  near  Keokuk,  November  10, 
1894  (Auk,  vol.  12,  p.  86). 

163.  OIDEMIA  AMERICANA  Swains.    American  Scoter. 

Anas  nigra.    Fuligula  americana.     Black  Scoter.  Sea  Coot.     Scoter  Duck. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  North  America  and  eastern  Asia. 
In  summer  in  the  Hudson  Bay  country,  but  breeding  most  abun- 
dantly on  the  Pacific  coast  from  the  Aleutian  Islands  to  Kotzebue 
Sound  and  northeastern  Asia.  In  winter  to  the  coasts,  lakes  and 
larger  rivers  of  the  United  States,  chiefly  north  and  eastward, 
rarely  to  lower  Mississippi  Valley  and  on  the  Pacific  coast  to 
California.  Also  in  Japan. 

Black  Scoters  in  immature  plumage  are  probably  not  as  rare 
in  Missouri  as  appears  from  captured  specimens.  They  have 
repeatedly  been  taken  in  southeastern  Nebraska,  and  Mr.  W.  E. 
Praeger  obtained  one  at  the  Des  Moines  rapids  near  Keokuk, 
October  31,  1895.  An  immature  specimen  killed  near  St.  Louis, 
November  24,  1875,  is  in  the  Hurter  collection,  and  there  is  a 
report,  though  somewhat  questionable,  of  a  flock  of  fifty  being 
seen  May  2,  1883,  on  a  millet  field  near  Anna,  Union  Co.,  in 
southern  Illinois,  feeding  on  the  newly  sown  seed. 

165.  OIDEMIA  DEGLANDI  Bonap.    White-winged  Scoter. 

Anas  fusca.  Fuligula  fusca.  Oidemia  fusca.  Oidemia  bimaculata. 
Oidemia  velvetina.  Melanetta  velvetina.  Oidemia  fusca  velvetina. 
Velvet  Scoter.  White-winged  Coot.  Black  Surf  Duck.  Velvet  Duck. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  North  America;  breeding  from  Gulf 
of  St.  Lawrence  to  59°  lat.  in  Labrador,  and  from  North  Dakota 
and  Alberta  to  Hudson  Bay  and  mouth  of  the  Mackenzie  River; 
less  commonly  from  British  Columbia  to  Kotzebue  Sound  and 
the  coast  of  northeastern  Siberia.  In  winter  to  the  coast  of  the 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     43 

Pacific  from  British  Columbia  to  Lower  California,  and  on  the 
Atlantic  from  Nova  Scotia  to  South  Carolina,  also  on  the  Great 
Lakes  and  irregularly  throughout  the  United  States  south  to  the 
Gulf  Coast. 

In  Missouri  a  rather  rare  winter  visitant  on  the  Missouri  and 
Mississippi  Rivers.  A  male  in  the  Hurter  collection  was  taken 
near  St.  Louis,  October  18,  1883,  and  two  in  immature  plumage, 
November  24,  1877.  A  female  taken  near  Kansas  City  is  in  the 
Public  Museum  of  that  city.  Mr.  W.  E.  Praeger  has  one  in  his 
collection  taken  October  26,  1895,  on  the  Des  Moines  River  near 
Keokuk.  In  southeastern  Nebraska  specimens  were  secured 
October  14,  1899,  and  December  8,  1900. 

166.  OIDEMIA  PERSPICILLATA  (Linn.).    Surf  Scoter. 

Anas  perspicillata.  Fuligula  pentpicillata.  Pelionetta  perspicillata. 
Pelioiietta  tnncbridgii.  Surf  Duck.  Sea  Coot.  Surf  Coot.  Gray 
Coots  (young  and  females).  Spectacled  Coot.  Skunkhead. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America;  breeding  from  Newfoundland 
and  Labrador  (Greenland?)  along  the  Arctic  coast  to  Alaska. 
In  winter  along  the  Pacific  Coast  from  the  Aleutians  to  Lower 
California;  on  the  Atlantic  Coast  from  Maine  to  Florida,  chiefly 
from  Massachusetts  to  North  Carolina ;  in  the  interior  throughout 
the  United  States  irregularly  as  far  south  as  Louisiana. 

In  Missouri  a  rare  winter  visitant.  An  immature  specimen 
taken  near  St.  Louis,  May  3,  1876,  is  in  the  Hurter  collection. 
Mr.  Wm.  E.  Praeger  has  specimens  taken  near  Keokuk,  October 
19,  1895,  and  October  22,  1896.  A  young  male  was  secured 
October  29,  1887,  at  Lawrence,  Kan.,  and  one,  also  a  male,  at 
Lincoln,  Neb.,  October  7,  1896. 

167.  ERISMATURA  JAMAICENSIS  (Gmel.).    Ruddy  Duck. 

Anas  rubidus.    Erismatura   rubida.    Fuligula   rubida.    Anas  jamaicensis. 
Spine-tailed  Duck.    Bristle-tail.    Fool  Duck. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  northern  South  America  through  the 
Greater  Antilles  and  Central  America  to  the  Great  Slave 
Lake.  Breeds  locally  throughout  its  range,  but  mainly  in  the 
reedy  lakes  of  Manitoba,  Assiniboia  and  Alberta.  In  winter 
to  California,. South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States  and  southward. 

In  Missouri  the  Ruddy  Duck  is  a  fairly  common,  but  generally 
distributed,  transient  visitant.  In  spring  it  is  with  us  from  the 
latter  part  of  February  (February  26,  1884,  St.  Louis)  to  the  end 
of  April  (April  25,  1881,  a  fine  male  in  the  Hurter  collection) 


44  Trans.  A  cad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

and  in  fall  from  October  10  to  November  20.  According  to  Mr. 
Hy.  Nehrling  the  Ruddy  Duck  was  formerly  a  rare  breeder  in 
southwestern  Missouri. 

Subfamily  Anserinae.     Geese. 
169.  CHEN  HYPERBOREA  (Pall.).    Lesser  Snow  Goose. 

Anser    hyperboreus.       Anser  albatus.      Chen  hyperboreus  albatus.      Snow 
Goose.    White  Brant. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northeastern  Asia  and  western  North  America 
to  the  Mississippi  Valley.  Breeds  within  the  Arctic  circle  from 
Liverpool  Bay  to  Alaska.  In  winter  from  British  Columbia 
through  the  interior  valleys  to  southern  California,  Mexico, 
Texas  and  Louisiana. 

In  Missouri  the  Snow  Goose,  often  called  Brant,  is  a  fairly 
common,  generally  distributed  transient  visitant  from  the  end 
of  February  (February  25,  1884,  St.  Louis)  to  the  middle  of 
April  (April  16,  1902,  New  Haven;  April  17,  1894,  Vernon  Co.), 
chiefly  in  March,  and  in  fall  from  October  10  to  November  20. 

169a.  CHEN  HYPERBOREA  NIVALIS  (Forst.).    Greater  Snow  Goose. 

Anas  hyperboreus.    Chen  hyperboreus  nivalis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  east  of  the  Mississippi 
River  except  the  region  north  of  Virginia,  migrating  in  spring 
through  Manitoba  and  eastern  Assiniboia,  in  fall  through  western 
Assiniboia  and  Alberta.  Breeds  in  Arctic  regions  and  winters 
along  Atlantic  coast,  the  Gulf  States,  and  irregularly  in  the 
Greater  Antilles. 

In  Missouri  a  transient  visitant  of  probably  regular  occurrence, 
together  with  intermediate  forms,  among  troops  of  the  former 
subspecies.  Typical  specimens  have  been  secured  by  Mr.  Chas. 
K.  Worthen  of  Warsaw,  111.,  several  times  on  Lima  Lake,  and  Mr. 
E.  W.  Nelson  stated  that  he  found  the  two  subspecies  in  about 
equal  numbers  in  Illinois,  sometimes  in  separate  flocks,  or  mixed 
with  the  other  subspecies,  and  also  with  the  Blue  Goose.  Dr 
Rud.  M.  Anderson  writes  in  his  Birds  of  Iowa  on  page  183 :  "On 
the  basis  of  these  measurements  (78  skins  collected  in  Iowa) 
only  ten  or  twelve  per  cent,  of  the  specimens  from  Iowa  can  defi- 
nitely be  considered  as  Greater  Snow  Geese,  the  remainder  being 
the  Lesser  variety,  with  every  grade  of  intermediates  between. 
In  the  face  of  such  perfect  intergradation,  the  attempt  to  differ- 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     45 

entiate  between  the  varieties  seems  to  be  almost  a  useless  refine- 
ment." 

169.1.  CHEN  CAERULESCENS  (Linn.).    Blue  Goose. 

Anas  caeridescens.      Anser  caerulescens.     Blue-winged    Goose.    Young    of 
Snow  Goose. 

Geog.  Dist. — Interior  of  North  America.  Breeding  ground 
unknown  but  thought  to  be  on  eastern  shores  of  Hudson  Bay. 
In  winter  through  Mississippi  Valley  to  Gulf  coast,  chiefly  west 
of  the  Mississippi  River. 

In  Missouri  the  Blue  Goose  is  a  fairly  common  transient  visi- 
tant in  spring  in  flocks  by  themselves  or  mixed  with  Snow  Geese. 
Available  dates  run  from  March  17  to  April  2;  no  fall  record  is 
at  present  at  hand.  Formerly  considered  to  be  the  young  or  a 
colored  phase  of  the  Snow  Goose,  this  species  did  not  receive 
that  measure  of  observers'  attention  which  it  deserves.  More- 
over the  young  of  the  two  species  resemble  each  other  perfectly 
in  form  and  size,  and  enough  in  color  to  make  identification  at  a 
distance  difficult.  Both,  old  and  young,  were  formerly  not  rare 
in  the  St.  Louis  market.  Two  fine  specimens  of  adult  birds 
are  in  the  Eimbeck,  one  in  the  Hurter  collection  and  some  in 
several  other  private  collections  in  St.  Louis. 

171a.  ANSER  ALBIFRONS  GAMBELI  (Hartl.).     American  White- 
fronted  Goose. 

Anser  gambeli.     Anser  albifrons.     Anser  frontalis.    Speckle-belly.     Laugh- 
ing Goose. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America  generally,  rare  on  the  Atlantic 
coast,  common  in  migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  and  in  the 
Pacific  States.  Breeds  in  Greenland  and  on  the  mainland  along 
the  Arctic  coast  to  the  Yukon  River.  Winters  from  British 
Columbia  to  Cape  St.  Lucas  and  Jalisco,  and  from  lower  Missis- 
sippi Valley  and  southern  Texas  to  northern  Mexico;  also  in 
Cuba. 

In  Missouri  the  Speckle-belly,  also  called  Brant  by  hunters, 
though  less  abundant  than  formerly,  is  still  a  fairly  common 
transient  visitant  from  early  in  March  to  the  latter  part  of  April, 
and  in  October  and  the  first  half  of  November. 

172.  BRANTA  CANADENSIS  (Linn.).   Canada  Goose. 

Anas  canadensis.     Bernida  canadensis.     Wild  Goose. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America;  breeding  from  Tennessee,  Ar- 
kansas, northern  Colorado,  southern  Oregon,  northward  to  and 


46  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

through  the  British  Provinces  from  Newfoundland  to  British 
Columbia  and  northward  to  the  Mackenzie  River  basin  and  the 
interior  of  Alaska.  In  winter  to  California  and  from  Long  Island, 
Ohio  Valley  and  lower  Missouri  Valley  southward  through  the 
south  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States.  As  the  settlers  of  the  country 
moved  west  and  northward  the  breeding  grounds  of  the  goose 
were  encroached  upon.  Its  southern  limits  at  present  extend 
through  the  northern  tier  of  states,  but  the  bird  will  soon  be 
driven  from  there  as  well  as  from  the  southern  provinces  of  Can- 
ada. 

In  Missouri  the  Wild  Goose  is  a  commonltransient  visitant 
and  a  not  very  rare  winter  resident,  being  present  in  larger  or 
smaller  numbers  from  early  in  October  to  the  latter  part  of 
April,  leaving  the  state  entirely  only  for  a  short  time  during 
the  severest  winter  weather  when  the  ground  is  covered  with 
snow  and  the  rivers  are  frozen.  When  the  first  white  men 
flocked  into  the  state,  they  found  the  geese  nesting  all  along 
the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  Rivers.  In  his  "  Reise  durch  Nord 
America"  Prinz  zu  Wied  tells  us  that  he  found  on  April  25, 
1833,  a  nest  in  a  tree  at  the  mouth  of  Nodaway  River,  and 
that  the  next  day  he  met  with  a  group  of  goslings  guarded  by 
their  parents. 

During  the  last  decade  of  the  past  century  the  Peninsula 
of  Missouri  still  harbored  a  small  number  of  breeding  pairs, 
usually  nesting  on  cypress  stumps  in  the  overflow,  6  or  8  feet 
above  the  water.  The  natives  hunted  their  eggs  and  young,  and 
bevies  of  semi-domesticated  Wild  Geese  were  a  common  sight  in 
Pemiscot  and  Dunklin  Counties.  Pairs  thus  reared  were  allowed 
to  make  their  own  nests  in  the  fields  of  the  farmer  and  incubated 
their  eggs  themselves,  the  gander  keeping  guard  and  boldly 
attacking  all  intruders.  As  there  has  been  a  great  influx  of 
settlers  into  that  country  during  the  last  few  years,  it  is  probable 
that  the  days  of  the  Wild  Goose  breeding  in  Missouri  are  past, 
but  some  may  still  at  least  try  to  remain.  Non-breeders  are 
sometimes  seen  in  northern  Missouri  long  after  the  transients  are 
all  gone  (May  3,  1887,  St.  Louis;  May  18,  1902,  New  Haven; 
June  7, 1886,  Mt.  Carmel). 

172a.  BRANTA    CANADENSIS    HUTCHINSII    (Rich.).      Hutchin's 
Goose. 

Anser  hutchinsii.     Bernicla  hutchinsii.    Little  Wild  Goose.    Lesser  Canada 
Goose. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  North  America;    in  the  north-east  to 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     47 

Hudson  Bay  region;  rarely  to  the  Atlantic  coast.  Breeds  from 
Yukon  Delta  northward  along  the  Arctic  coast  and  islands  and 
migrates  through  the  western  states  and  the  Mississippi  Valley 
to  winter  in  California  and  the  southern  United  States. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  transient  and  winter  visitant, 
generally  in  company  with  its  larger  cousin,  from  which  it  is 
readily  distinguished  by  its  much  smaller  size.  The  first  Hutch- 
in's  Geese  Audubon  ever  saw,  he  killed  October  14,  1843,  near 
Brunswick,  Mo. 

[172c.  BRANTA  CANADENSIS  MINIMA  Ridgw.    Cackling  Goose.] 

Branta  minima. 

Geog.  Dist. — Coast  of  Alaska,  chiefly  about  Norton  Sound  and 
Lower  Yukon,  migrating  southward  into  western  United  States, 
east  to  Wisconsin. 

A  fine  example  of  this  very  small  Goose,  killed  in  the  vicinity 
of  Quincy,  111.,  and  now  in  the  bird  collection  of  the  Public 
Library,  extends  its  range  as  a  casual  visitant  to  the  eastern 
border  of  Missouri. 

178.  DENDROCYGNA  FULVA  (Gmel.).    Fulvous  Tree-duck. 

Anas  fulva.     Penelope  mexicaiia. 

Geog.  Dist. — Southern  border  of  United  States;  east  to  eastern 
Louisiana  (Rigolets  Pass),  north  to  central  California  (Marys- 
ville)  and  Nevada  (Washoe  Lake);  south  into  Mexico.  Occurs 
also  in  South  America,  southern  Asia,  Africa  and  Madagascar. 
Accidental  in  Washington  (October  3,  1905,  Grays  Harbor); 
North  Carolina  (Swan  Island,  July,  1886). 

Of  its  occurrence  in  Missouri  we  find  the  following  record  in 
Forest  and  Stream:  vol.  36.  p.  435:  "St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Feb.  10, 
1891.  Dr.  T.  H.  Bean.  Dear  Sir:  While  duck  shooting  last 
fall  at  New  Albany,  southeastern  Missouri,  I  killed  what  was  then 
to  me  a  new  duck,  but  which  I  have  since  identified  as  Dendro- 
cygna  fulva,  a  South  American  bird,  if  I  have  placed  it  right. 
Is  not  this  a  rare  bird  so  far  north?  I  have  mounted  the  skin 
and  would  present  it  to  the  Smithsonian,  if  it  will  be  of  any  use 
to  that  institution.  Yours  very  truly,  Frank  W.  Sparks.'7 
To  this  the  following  reply  was  added :  "  Smithsonian  Institution, 
Washington,  June  12,  1891.  Mr.  Frank  W.  Sparks,  2516  No. 
Broadway,  St.  Louis.  Dear  Sir:  I  write  to  thank  you  on  behalf 
of  the  National  Museum  for  the  very  fine  specimen  of  the  Fulvous 


48  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Tree-duck,  Dendrocygna  fulva,  which  you  had  the  kindness  to 
present  through  Dr.  Bean.  Besides  being  a  very  acceptable 
specimen  on  account  of  its  good  preparation,  it  is  particularly  so 
from  the  very  exceptional  locality  which  it  represents,  being,  so 
far  as  the  Eastern  United  States  are  concerned,  much  the 
most  northern  example  on  record — Currituck  Sound,  N.  C.  (a 
single  accidental  specimen),  Louisiana  and  Texas  being  the 
most  northern  localities  for  the  species  known  to  me,  except  in 
California  where  it  is  not  uncommon  as  far  north  as  Stockton. 
It  has  also  been  taken  near  Carson,  Nev.  Yours  truly, 

R.  Ridgway,  Curator  Dep'tof  Birds." 

Subfamily  Cygninae.     Swans. 

180.  OLOR  COLUMBIANUS  (Ord).    Whistling  Swan. 

Anas    columbianus.       Olor    americanus.      Cygnus   americanus.      Cygnus 
bewickii.     Cygnus  ferus.     Cygnus  musicus.     American  Swan. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America;  breeding  along  the  coast  of  the 
Arctic  Sea  from  Baffinland  and  Nottingham  Island  to  Alaska, 
where  it  has  been  found  as  far  south  as  58°  (Becharof  Lake). 
Winters  on  Pacific  coast  from  British  Columbia  to  southern 
California;  on  the  Atlantic  coast  from  New  Jersey  to  Florida; 
rare  in  the  interior  and  Gulf  States. 

In  Missouri  a  rare  transient  visitant  in  early  spring  (March  26, 
1898,  St.  Joseph,  Wilson;  March  27,  1894,  Keokuk,  Currier; 
March  24, 1885,  St.  Louis ;  March  16,  Hurter  collection).  Seldom 
met  with  in  fall  (October  8  and  9,  Keokuk,  Praeger).  It  may 
not  be  out  of  place  to  remind  students,  as  Dr.  Coues  does  in  his 
Birds  of  the  North-west,  page  546,  "that  the  yellow  spot  on  the 
bill  is  not  constant,  in  young  birds  especially,  often  no  trace  can 
be  observed.  In  such  cases  the  species  would  be  distinguish- 
able from  0.  buccinator  by  the  smaller  size,  fewer  tail  feathers, 
and  shorter,  differently  shaped  bill." 

181.  OLOR  BUCCINATOR  (Rich.).    Trumpeter  Swan. 

Cygnus  buccinator. 

Geog.  Dist. — Interior  of  North  America,  breeding  formerly 
from  Iowa  and  Nebraska  through  the  North-west  Territories, 
now  from  about  60°  to  the  Arctic  Ocean.  Winters  from  British 
Columbia  to  southern  California  and  migrates  through  the  Mis- 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     49 

sissippi  Valley  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.     Rare  or  casual  on  the 
Atlantic  coast. 

In  Missouri  the  Trumpeter  Swan  is  a  regular,  formerly  fairly 
common,  now  rather  rare,  transient  visitant  from  the  middle  of 
February  to  the  middle  of  April,  chiefly  in  March.  The  innum- 
erable large  and  small  lakes  in  the  flood  plains  of  the  Mississippi 
and  Missouri  Rivers  offer  temporary  resting  places  for  the  passing 
swans,  which  wander  in  small  troops  and,  where  not  molested, 
remain  sometimes  for  weeks  on  favorite  feeding  grounds.  On  a 
small  lake  on  a  St.  Charles  Co.  game  preserve  a  party  of  eight 
remained  in  1895  from  March  15  to  April  9;  and  they  are  known 
to  return  to  the  same  lake  every  spring.  In  autumn  these  lakes 
are  usually  too  shallow  and  small  to  suit  swans,  though  they 
attract  geese  and  ducks,  as  well  as  other  water  birds  and  waders. 
As  this  species  is  known  to  have  bred  in  Iowa  and  Nebraska  the 
swans,  which  Audubon  saw  May  4,  1843,  on  the  Missouri  River 
between  Leaven  worth  and  St.  Joseph  may  have  been  on  or  near 
their  nesting  grounds.  That  swans  bred  formerly  also  in  north- 
eastern Missouri  is  well  known  to  old  hunters.  Mr.  Jasper 
Blines  of  Alexandria  wrote  October  31, 1888,  in  Forest  and  Stream 
vol.  31,  p.  343:  "What  has  become  of  the  swan?  This  noble 
fowl  was  tolerably  plentiful  here  in  former  times  and  even 
hatched  its  brood  along  the  densely  covered  shores  of  our  low- 
land lakes.  But  they  have  bidden  us  good-bye  and  have 
sought  climes  more  genial,  and  their  musical  voice  is  no  more 
heard  in  our  land." 


Order  HERODIONES.    Herons,  Storks,  Ibises,  etc. 
Suborder  Ibide§.     Spoonbills  and  Ibises. 

Family  IBIDIDAE.    Ibises. 
[184.  GUARA  ALBA  (Linn.).    White  Ibis.] 

Scolopax  alba.     Tantalus  albus.     Ibis  alba.     Eudocinus  albus. 

Geog.  Dist. — South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States  to  West  Indies 
and  northern  South  America;  north  to  North  Carolina,  southern 
Illinois,  Great  Salt  Lake  and  Lower  California,  casually  to  Long 
Island,  Connecticut  and  South  Dakota. 

There  are  two  White  Ibises  in  immature  plumage  in  collections 
at  Quincy,  Illinois,  one  in  the  Seaman  collection  in  the  High 


50  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

School,  the  other  in  the  Public  Library.  Upon  inquiry  it  was 
found  that  both  were  killed  at  the  same  time  out  of  a  flock  of  four 
by  Mr.  Slingerland  of  Quincy  in  the  neighborhood  of  that  city. 
This  extends  the  range  of  the  species  in  the  Mississippi  Valley 
northward  to  the  region  of  northern  Missouri. 

[186.  PLEGADIS  AUTUMNALIS  (Hasselq.).    Glossy  Ibis.] 

Tantalus  falcinellus.     Ibis  and  Plegadis  falcinellus.     Ibis  Ordii.     Ibis  falci- 
nellus  var.  ordii.     Green  Ibis  (young).     Bay  Ibis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Warmer  parts  of  Old  World  and  West  Indies T 
irregularly  to  southeastern  United  States,  wandering  north  along 
Atlantic  coast  to  New  England  and  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  to 
Nebraska  (three  specimens  taken  in  eastern  Nebraska  near 
Omaha),  and  Wisconsin. 

One  in  immature  plumage  was  killed  February  27,  1880r 
within  a  few  miles  of  St.  Louis  in  the  Illinois  bottom,  and 
is  now  in  the  Hurter  collection  of  Washington  University  of 
St.  Louis. 

187.  PLEGADIS  GUARAUNA   (Linn.).     White-faced  Glossy  Ibis. 

Scolopax  guarauna.    Ibis  and  Tantalus  guarauna.    Ibis  thalassinus  (young). 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  South  America  through  West  Indies 
and  Mexico  to  Texas,  southwestern  Louisiana,  California,  strag- 
gling northward  to  British  Columbia,  Oregon,  Wyoming,  Kansas 
and  Nebraska.  Also  found  breeding  (June  26,  1894,  and  June 
22, 1895),  at  Heron  Lake,  Minn. 

The  Kansas  records  are  one  in  fall,  1879,  near  Lawrence;  one 
near  Wichita,  October  17,  1890;  and  one  near  McPherson,  April 
29,  1891.  Of  the  three  specimens  taken  in  Nebraska,  two  were 
killed  near  Omaha,  August  19,  1893,  and  April  6,  1897.  There 
is  also  a  record  from  Calhoun  Co.,  la.,  where  one  was  killed  out 
of  a  flock  of  thirteen  in  April  1891.  In  a  case  of  mounted  birds 
presented  to  the  Cuivre  Hunting  Club  by  one  of  its  former 
members,  Mr.  John  T.  Davis,  is  a  fine  specimen  of  a  White-faced 
Glossy  Ibis  in  adult  plumage.  All  birds  in  the  case  were  taken 
on  the  club  grounds  in  St.  Charles  Co.,  but  unfortunately  dates 
of  capture  have  not  been  preserved. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  51 

Suborder  Cicouiae.    Storks,  etc. 
Family  CICONIIDAE.    Storks  and  Wood  Ibises. 

Subfamily  Tantalinae.    Wood  Ibises. 
188.  TANTALUS  LOCULATOR  Linn.    Wood  Ibis. 

Water  Turkey.     Colorado  Turkey.     Gcurdhead. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  southern  South  America  to  southeastern 
California,  Arizona,  and  the  Gulf  coast,  wandering  in  summer 
northward  through  the  lower  Mississippi  Valley  to  Missouri, 
irregularly  to  Utah,  Colorado,  Indiana  and  Wisconsin,  casually 
to  Ohio,  Pennsylvania  and  New  York. 

The  Gourdhead,  as  it  is  called  by  the  natives,  is  a  regular  sum- 
mer visitant  in  the  Peninsula  of  Missouri  from  July  to  September, 
occurring  in  troops  of  from  ten  to  thirty.  Some  years  these 
troops  follow  the  Mississippi  River  into  northern  Missouri, 
visiting  the  lakes  of  the  bottom  land,  rarely  ascending  the  lower 
Missouri  River.  Dr.  A.  F.  Eimbeck  observed  them  but  once  in 
thirty-five  years,  a  flock  of  seven  at  New  Haven,  August  11  to 
September  11,  1902. 

Suborder  Herodii.     Herons,  Egrets,  Bitterns,  etc. 
Family  ARDEIDAE.    Herons,  Bitterns,  etc. 

Subfamily  Botaurinae.     Bitterns. 
*190.  BOTAURUS  LENTIGINOSUS  (Montag.).    American  Bittern. 

Ardea  stellaris  canadensis.     Botaurus  minor.     Ardea  minor.     B.  mugitans. 
Stake  Driver.     Thunder  Pump.     Indian  Pullet.     Look-up. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  Guatemala  northward  throughout  the 
United  States  and  in  Canada  to  Hudson  Bay  and  Mackenzie 
River,  and  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.  Breeds  in  suitable 
localities  in  most  parts  of  the  United  States,  chiefly  northward. 

In  Missouri  the  Bittern  can  still  be  regarded  a  fairly  common 
summer  resident  and  breeder  in  all  marshes  from  about  the  first 
of  April  to  the  end  of  October.  In  migration  it  may  be  met  with 
in  unexpected  places,  on  small  pools  in  the  woodland,  on  the 
prairie,  as  well  as  on  the  broad  marshes  of  the  great  flood  plains, 


52  Trans.  A  cad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

especially  numerous  in  the  St.  Francis  basin.  In  the  more 
southern  part  of  the  state  the  first  appear  in  March,  but  April  and 
.  October  are  the  months  when  the  transient  visitants  are  most 
common  and  generally  distributed.  A  few  linger  through 
November.  November  19,  1906,  one  was  caught  in  the  heart  of 
St.  Louis  in  a  sleet  storm  unable  to  continue  its  flight,  because 
covered  with  sleet  and  frozen  rain.  In  the  very  backward  spring 
of  1907  a  transient  individual  was  met  with  in  Calvary  Cemetery 
at  St.  Louis  as  late  as  May  9.  Numerous  examples  are  known, 
proving  that  such  birds  as  Bitterns  do  not  follow  certain  migra- 
tion routes,  but  travel  broadcast  over  the  country.  Mr.  E.  Sey- 
mour Woodruff  found  a  Bittern  on  April  8,  1907,  beside  a  small 
pool  of  rainwater  in  a  shallow  depression  on  top  of  the  plateau  in 
the  woods  of  Shannon  Co. 

*191.  ARDETTA  EXILIS  (Gmel.).    Least  Bittern. 

Ardea  exilis.     Little  Bittern. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  South  America  and  West  Indies  to 
southern  British  Provinces.  Breeds  throughout  the  United 
States  from  Maine  to  southern  Oregon,  except  in  the  mountainous 
regions  of  the  West.  Winters  from  the  Gulf  coast  southward. 

In  Missouri  the  Least  Bittern  is  a  locally  common  summer 
resident  from  the  middle  of  April  in  the  south,  and  nearly  a  month 
later  in  the  north,  to  September.  It  is  a  denizen  of  the  reedy 
lakes  and  sloughs  in  the  flood  plains  of  the  Mississippi  and  Mis- 
souri Rivers.  Even  where  plentiful,  they  are  seldom  seen  in  the 
daytime,  but  become  active  toward  evening,  when  they  move 
about  by  clasping  the  reed  stalks  just  above  the  water  and  flying 
from  one  part  of  the  lake  to  another  low  over  the  plant  growth. 
In  the  love  season  their  peculiar  chat-like  note  may  often  be 
heard  coming  from  the  dense  reeds.  Specimens  taken  near 
Springfield  (Dr.  D.  T.  Kizer)  and  at  Billings  (J.  D.  Kastendieck) 
show  that  the  Least  Bitterns  do  not  follow  the  large  rivers  in 
their  migrations,  but  cross  the  Ozarks. 

Subfamily  Ardeinae.     Herons  and  Egrets. 
*194.  ARDEA  HERODIAS  Linn.    Great  Blue  Heron. 

Blue  Crane.     Fish  Heron. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  northern  South  America  to  Nova  Scotia, 
Quebec,  Manitoba  and  British  Columbia,  rarely  to  the  Northwest 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  53 

Territories  and  Alaska*  Breeds  locally  throughout  its  range  and 
winters  from  the  Gulf  and  South  Atlantic  States  and  California 
southward. 

The  Blue  Crane,  as  this  bird  is  generally  called,  is  a  fairly  com- 
mon summer  resident  in  Missouri  from  the  middle  of  March, 
occasionally  earlier,  to  November.  It  is  surprising  that  a  bird 
so  large  and  subjected  to  such  universal  persecution  still  survives 
in  the  numbers  in  which  we  find  it  to-day.  During  the  breeding 
season  there  is  probably  no  county  in  the  state  where  some  indi- 
viduals cannot  be  seen  flying  from  the  distant  nest  to  some  fav- 
orite feeding  grounds.  Perhaps  the  largest  numbers  may  be 
seen  in  the  flood  plains  of  the  great  rivers,  where  whole  colonies 
nest  on  the  highest  trees  along  the  shores  or  on  the  islands ; 
but  they  are  also  found  in  the  remotest  counties  of  the  Ozarks, 
where  they  build  their  nests  in  the  high  trees  of  the  valleys  in  one 
county  and  have  their  feeding  grounds  ten  or  more  miles  away  in 
another  county. 

*196.  HERODIAS  EGRETTA  (GmeL).    American  Egret. 

Ardea  egretta.     Herodias  alba  egretta.     White  Crane.     White  Heron. 

Geog.  Dist. — Originally  whole  of  South  America,  Central 
America,  West  Indies,  and  in  North  America  throughout  the 
United  States,  excepting  the  mountainous  regions  of  the  West, 
to  southern  Canada.  Now  greatly  reduced  in  numbers  and  rare 
where  formerly  common.  Breeds  now  locally  from  Virginia 
and  Missouri  southward  and  wanders  after  the  breeding  season 
northward.  Winters  from  the  Gulf  States  southward. 

Until  the  early  nineties,  when  the  plume  craze  reached  our 
country  and  every  trapper  became  a  plume  hunter,  the  swamps 
of  the  southeast  harbored  large  colonies  with  hundreds  of  breeding 
Egrets.  After  a  very  few  years  of  slaughter  the  birds  had  grown 
so  scarce  that  the  good  men  had  to  give  up  hunting  cranes  as  an 
unprofitable  occupation.  As  late  as  1900,  small  numbers  were 
still  breeding  in  colonies  together  with  Great  Blue  Herons  on 
islands  in  the  Mississippi  as  far  north  as  St.  Charles  and  Lincoln 
Counties,  making  the  shallow  lakes  in  the  marshes  their  feeding 
grounds,  but  none  have  been  seen  there  the  last  few  years. 
Twenty  years  ago  hundreds  congregated  around  these  lakes  in 
August  and  early  September  and  many  ascended  the  lower  Mis- 
souri Valley  on  these  roving  expeditions  at  least  as  far  as  New 
Haven  (Dr.  Eimbeck). 


54  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

197.  EGRETTA  CANDIDISSIMA  (GmeL).    Snowy  Heron. 

Ardea  candidissima.     Garzetta  candidissima.     Little  White  Egret. 

Geog.  Dist. — Formerly  from  Argentina  to  the  northern  United 
States,  casually  to  Nova  Scotia,  Ontario  and  British  Columbia, 
breeding  from  Virginia  and  southern  Illinois  southward.  Now 
nearly  exterminated  in  the  United  States. 

Like  other  herons  the  Snowy  used  to  wander  northward  in  the 
Mississippi  River  flood  plain  after  the  breeding  season  and  was  a 
common  bird  on  the  marshes  of  St.  Charles  Co.  in  August  and 
September,  but  none  have  been  seen  there  for  the  past  ten  years. 
A  few  may  have  survived  the  slaughter  and  destruction  of  their 
colonies  in  southeastern  Missouri  and  with  proper  protection 
may  again  become  an  ornament  of  our  late  summer  landscape. 
Mr.  J.  D.  Kastendieck  shot  some  on  the  mill  pond  at  Billings  in 
August  and  September  1895,  and  Mr.  W.  E.  Praeger  reports  them 
as  having  occurred  near  Keokuk,  but  Snowy  Herons  seem  never 
to  have  visited  the  more  northern  and  the  western  part  of  the 
state  in  large  numbers. 

[198.  DICHROMANASSA  RUFESCENS  (GmeL).    Reddish  Egret. 

Ardea  rufescens.  Demiegretta  rufa.  Dichromanassa  rufa.  Ardea  rufa. 
Ardea  rufescens.  Ardea  pealei.  Demiegretta  pealei.  Peale's  Egret 
(white  phase.) 

Geog.  Dist. — Gulf  States,  Mexico  (both  coasts),  Central  Amer- 
ica and  West  Indies,  north  to  the  Ohio  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

Observed  and  found  quite  common  during  the  last  week  of 
August  1875  in  the  vicinity  of  Cairo,  111.,  by  Mr.  E.  W.  Nelson. 

199.  HYDRANASSA   TRICOLOR   RUFICOLLIS    (Gosse).     Louisiana 
Heron. 

Ardea  ludoviciana.  Demiegretta  ludoviciana.  Hydranassa  tricolor  ludovici- 
ana.  Ardea  leucogastra  v.  leucophrymna.  Ardea  tricolor  ruficollis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Gulf  States,  Mexico,  Central  America  and  West 
Indies ;  casually  northward  to  New  Jersey  and  Indiana. 

Mr.  E.  S.  Currier  killed  one  near  Sand  Ridge,  Clark  Co.,  Mo., 
April  13,  1890,  as  it  rose  from  a  small  prairie  pond. 

200.  FLORIDA  CAERULEA  (Linn.).    Little  Blue  Heron. 

Ardea  caerulea.     Little  White  Heron  (young). 

Geog.  Dist. — From  northern  South  America  through  the  West 
Indies  and  Central  America  to  eastern  United  States;  breeding 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  55 

in  the  southern  states,  formerly  to  southwestern  Indiana  and 
Missouri  and  wandering  after  the  breeding  season  northward  to 
the  more  northern  states,  accidentally  to  Wisconsin,  Maine  and 
Nova  Scotia.  It  winters  south  of  the  United  States,  returning 
to  Louisiana  about  the  middle  of  March  and  to  Missouri  more 
than  a  month  later  (April  30, 1880,  Hurter  collection). 

Not  known  to  breed  in  Missouri  at  present,  but  appears  in  the 
Peninsula  in  large  troops,  composed  entirely  of  birds  of  the  year, 
late  in  July  or  early  in  August,  remaining  till  September.  Some 
of  them  wander  up  the  Mississippi  to  the  region  of  the  mouth  of 
the  Illinois  River,  irregularly,  farther  north  (Warsaw,  111., 
Worthen)  or  along  the  Missouri  River  north  to  southern  Nebraska. 
It  has  been  taken  in  Platte  Co.,  Mo.,  opposite  Leavenworth, 
Kan.,  by  Mr.  A.  Lange,  and  a  specimen  in  the  Kansas  City  Public 
Museum  was  taken  near  that  city. 

*201.  BUTORIDES  VIRESCENS  (Linn.).    Green  Heron. 

Ardea  virescens.     Shytepoke.     Fly-up-the-creek. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  northern  South  America,  through  the 
West  Indies  and  Central  America  to  southern  Ontario,  through- 
out the  United  States  east  of  the  Great  Plains  and  in  Cal- 
ifornia and  Oregon.  Breeds  throughout  its  range  and  winters 
south  of  the  United  States. 

In  Missouri  the  Green  Heron  is  a  common  summer  visitant  of 
general  distribution  not  confined  to  low  or  swampy  regions  like 
other  herons,  but  frequenting  wooded  streams  and  ponds,  nesting 
sometimes  far  away  from  water  on  cultivated  land,  frequently  in 
orchards  in  small  colonies  of  from  six  to  ten  nests  on  one  acre. 
It  arrives  in  southern  Missouri  about  the  10th  of  April,  in  central 
and  northern  parts  from  one  to  two  weeks  later  (Shannon  Co., 
April  10,  1904;  Vernon  Co.,  April  15,  1894;  St.  Louis  Co.,  April 
17,  1886;  Kansas  City,  April  18,  1904;  Keokuk,  average  date, 
April  25) .  It  leaves  the  breeding  grounds  in  family  groups  during 
September  and  very  few  are  seen  after  the  first  of  October. 
(Latest  record  October  13,  1896,  Keokuk,  Currier.) 

*202.  NYCTICORAX  NYCTICORAX  NAEVIUS  (Bodd.).  Black-crowned 
Night  Heron. 

Ardea  naevia.    Nyctiardea  grisea  naevia.      Nyctiardea  gardeni.      Night- 
Raven.     Qua-bird.     Squawk.     Quawk. 

Geog.  Dist. — Nearly  the  whole  of  South  America,  parts  of 
West  Indies,  and  through  the  United  States  to  New  Brunswick, 


56  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Ontario  and  Manitoba.     Breeds  throughout  its  range  and  winters 
from  California  and  the  Gulf  Coast  southward. 

In  Missouri  formerly  a  locally  numerous,  now  a  greatly  re- 
duced, summer  resident  in  the  flood  plains  of  the  larger  rivers, 
chiefly  the  Mississippi,  from  April  10  to  October  10.  More 
generally  distributed  in  migration,  especially  in  early  fall,  when 
young  birds  may  be  met  with  at  ponds  and  pools  far  awray  from 
their  usual  haunts.  When  on  wing  in  the  twilight  going  from 
nesting  to  distant  feeding  grounds  they  resemble  ravens,  which, 
with  some  similarity  in  their  croak,  has  given  rise  to  the  popular 
name,  Night  Raven. 

*203.  NYCTANASSA  VIOLACEA  (Linn.).     Yellow-crowned  Night 
Heron. 

Nycticorax  violacea.     Nyctiardea  violacea.     Nycterodius  violaceus. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  Brazil  to  the  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf 
States;  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio;  on 
the  Pacific  coast  to  Lower  California;  casually  north  to  Massa- 
chusetts, Minnesota,  Nebraska  and  Colorado.  Breeds  in  all 
parts  of  its  regular  summer  range,  which  formerly  extended  to 
Indiana,  Illinois  and  Kansas.  Winters  south  of  the  United 
States  to  which  it  returns  in  March. 

Thirty-three  years  ago  the  breeding  range  of  the  Yellow- 
crowned  Night  Heron  extended  up  the  Illinois  bottom  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Illinois  River.  A  young  of  the  year  in  the  Hurter 
collection  was  captured  opposite  St.  Louis,  July  12,  1873,  and  an 
adult,  April  10.  Ten  years  ago  they  were  still  fairly  common 
summer  residents  in  the  Peninsula,  but  of  late  they  have  become 
few  and  their  total  extermination  as  breeders  in  the  state  is  fast 
approaching. 

Order  PALUDICOLAE.    Cranes,  Rails,  etc. 
Suborder  Grues.     Cranes. 
Family  GRUIDAE.    Cranes. 
204.  GRUS  AMERICANA  (Linn.).   Whooping  Crane. 

Ardea  americana.     Grus  hoy  anus  (young).     Hooping  Crane. 

Geog.  Dist. — Interior  of  North  America  from  Mexico,  Texas 
and  Florida  to  Saskatchewan  and  'Athabasca,  migrating  chiefly 


Widniann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  57 

through  the  Mississippi  Valley  and  breeding  formerly  in  the  north- 
ern United  States  and  Canada  from  the  Red  River  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  now  driven  to  the  northernmost  portions  of  its  range 
by  the  irresistible  encroachment  of  civilization. 

Available  records  of  its  occurrence  in  Missouri  are  few.  The 
first  for  the  state  is  that  of  Dr.  P.  R.  Hoy  in  his  "Journal  of  an 
Exploration  of  western  Missouri"  under  date  of  April  18,  1854. 
One  in  the  Hurter  collection  of  birds  taken  in  the  vicinity  of 
St.  Louis  is  dated  March  17,  1884.  Mrs.  Musik  reported  five 
cranes  seen  at  Mount  Carmel,  Audrain  Co.,  March  25,  1885. 
Mr.  Hy.  Nehrling  saw  26  Whooping  Cranes  at  Freistatt,  Law- 
rence Co.,  March  27,  1886.  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  twelve 
pure  white,  beautiful  cranes  flying  low  over  St.  Louis  on  the  after- 
noon of  March  25,  1888.  Mr.  P.  L.  Ong  reported  the  occurrence 
of  two  cranes  (G.  americana)  at  Laclede,  Linn  Co.,  March  20  and 
27,  1889.  The  last  record  at  hand  is  March  9,  10  and  15,  1894, 
from  Stotesbury,  Vernon  Co.,  made  by  Mr.  T.  Surber  in  his 
migration  report  to  the  Dep't  of  Agriculture.  There  is  no  fall 
record  for  Missouri,  but  T.  M.  Trippe  saw  "quite  a  number"  in 
the  fall  of  1872  in  Decatur  Co.,  Iowa,  just  across  the  line  of  north- 
central  Missouri.  One  winged  on  the  Grand  Prairie  in  Dunklin 
Co.  in  1864  was  kept  alive  by  Dr.  Cook  of  Cottonplant  and  after 
his  death  by  his  widow  for  over  thirty  years. 

205.  GRUS  CAN ADENSIS  (Linn.).    Little  Brown  Crane. 

Grus  fraterculus.     Northern  Sandhill  Crane. 

Geog.  Dist. — Arctic  and  subarctic  America.  Breeds  in  the 
high  north  along  the  Arctic  coast,  and  migrates  south  through 
western  United  States  to  Texas  and  New  Mexico. 

A  female  was  shot  in  Clark  Co.,  Mo.,  April  10, 1896,  and  brought 
to  Mr.  W.  E.  Praeger,  who  has  the  skin  in  his  collection.  It  has 
repeatedly  been  taken  in  eastern  Nebraska  (and  Wisconsin), 
and  is  regarded  as  a  common  migrant  in  Kansas. 

206.  GRUSMEXICANA  (Miill.).    Sandhill  Crane. 

Grus  canadensis  (part.).     Brown  Crane.     Grus  americana     (By  Audubon 
supposed  to  be  young  of  Whooping  Crane). 

Geog.  Dist. — From  central  Mexico  and  Florida  to  southern 
Canada.  Rare  east  of  the  Alleghanies  north  of  Georgia.  West 
to  California.  Breeds  locally  throughout  its  range  from  Arizona 


58  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

to  southeastern  British  Columbia,  and  formerly  east  to  Florida 
and  Ohio.    Winters  in  the  Gulf  States  and  Mexico. 

In  Missouri  formerly  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant, 
mainly  from  the  middle  to  the  end  of  March,  sometimes  earlier 
(March  4  and  5, 1882,  St.  Louis)  or  later  (April  10, 1894,  Keokuk). 
W.  E.  D.  Scott  mentions  the  Sandhill  Crane  as  being  a  common 
migrant  at  Warrensburg,  arriving  early  in  April  1874.  Prince 
of  Wied  on  his  way  up  the  Missouri  River  in  1833  makes  the 
following  entry  in  his  diary :  "  April  18, 1833.  Below  Lexington. 
A  large  number  of  Sandhill  Cranes  filled  the  air  with  their  voices; 
they  went  in  flocks  northeastward."  Fall  records  are  less  fre- 
quent; they  come  from  the  center  of  the  state,  Saline  and  How- 
ard Counties,  October  14  to  25,  1885  and  1890.  Audubon  saw 
many  Sandhill  Cranes  October  13,  1843,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Grand  River.  There  is  no  doubt  that  only  a  small  percentage 
of  their  former  numbers  survive.  Very  few  notes  of  the  last  ten 
years  are  to  be  had,  while  as  late  as  1872  J.  M.  Trippe  writes  from 
our  northern  boundary  (Decatur  Co.,  Iowa):  "Vast  numbers 
pass  over  in  spring  and  fall;  they  bred  formerly."  On  his  jour- 
ney up  the  Missouri  River  in  1843  Audubon  saw  five  Sandhill 
Cranes  near  the  mouth  of  Nodaway  River  as  late  as  May  7; 
and  Dr.  Hoy  met  with  a  pair  on  the  prairie  between  Utica  and 
Lexington  May  18,  1854.  He  writes:  "My  brother  waved  his 
hat  and  shouted  two  or  three  times,  when  the  male  bird  com- 
menced, by  bowing  and  hopping  in  a  ludicrous  manner, — a 
series  of  amusing  antics,  interluded  with  brief  samples  of  vocal 
powers  that  made  ample  compensation  in  strength  for  any  lack 
of  melody." 

Suborder  Balli.    Rails,  Gallinules,  Coots,  etc. 
Family  RALLIDAE.    Rails,  Gallinules,  Coots. 

Subfamily  Rallinae.    Rails. 
*208.  RALLUS  ELEGANS  (Aud.).    King  Rail. 

Great  Red-breasted  Rail.     Marsh  Hen. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States;  north  to  Connecticut, 
southern  Ontario,  Minnesota;  west  to  eastern  Nebraska  and 
Kansas.  Breeds  in  fresh- water  marshes  throughout  its  range. 
Winters  in  the  southern  states. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  summer  resident  in  the  marshes 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  59 

along  the  large  rivers;  arrives  from  the  last  of  March  to  the  end 
of  April  and  remains  to  the  latter  part  of  October.  Specimens 
in  the  collections  of  Dr.  D.  T.  Kizer  of  Springfield  and  Mr.  J.  D. 
Kastendieck  of  Billings  were  taken  in  Greene  and  Christian 
counties  in  the  Ozark  border  region  and  Mr.  Philo  W.  Smith,  Jr. 
of  Eureka  Springs  reports  this  species  as  a  rare  breeder  in  the 
White  River  valley  along  our  southern  boundary  (1906).  Young 
were  seen  as  early  as  June  1,  1905,  at  Mudlake,  St.  Charles  Co. 

*212.  RALLUS  VIRGINIANUS  Linn.    Virginia  Rail. 

Little  Red-breasted  Rail. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  Central  America  and  Cuba  to  New  Bruns- 
wick, Ontario  and  Manitoba;  on  the  Pacific  coast  to  British 
Columbia.  Breeds  throughout  its  range  in  the  United  States, 
but  chiefly  northward.  Winters  in  the  South  Atlantic  and 
Gulf  States,  Mexico  and  California. 

In  Missouri  the  Virginia  Rail  is  a  fairly  common  transient  visi- 
tant in  spring,  occurring  not  only  in  the  marshes  of  the  larger 
rivers,  but  in  wet  places  of  the  Prairie  and  Ozark  border  regions. 
It  may  be  found  all  through  April  and  early  May  (earliest  date 
March  31,  1887,  St.  Louis;  latest  May  19,  Warrensburg).  It 
has  been  found  breeding  in  Clark  Co.  by  Mr.  E.  S.  Currier. 
There  is  no  record  of  its  occurrence  in  fall. 

*214.  PORZANA  CAROLINA  (Linn.).    Sora. 

Rallus  carolinus.     Ortygometra  Carolina.     Common  Rail.     Ortolan.     Car- 
olina Crake. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  northern  South  America  and  the  West 
Indies  to  British  Provinces  (rarely  to  Greenland) ;  in  the  West 
to  lat.  55°;  in  the  Mackenzie  River  region.  Breeds  chiefly  north 
of  lat.  38°,  and  winters  from  the  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States 
southward. 

In  Missouri  a  common  transient  visitant  in  all  parts  of  the  state, 
the  Ozarks  not  excepted.  Some  may  be  found  as  early  as  April 
1,  but  they  are  most  plentiful  and  generally  distributed  during 
the  second  half  of  April,  and  in  the  north  to  the  middle  of  May. 
Fall  migration  begins  early  in  September  and  lasts  through 
October  (latest  November  19,  1893).  It  has  been  observed  in 
summer  in  St.  Charles  and  Howard  Co.,  and  nests  have  been 
found  near  Kansas  City  (ten  eggs,  Mr.  0.  C.  Sheley,  Independence) 
and  in  Clark  Co.  (Mr.  E.  S.  Currier). 


60  Trans.  A  cad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

215.  PORZANA  NOVSBORACENSIS  (Gmel.).    Yellow  Rail. 

Rallus  noveboracensis.     Ortygometra  noveboracensis. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America  to  Hudson  Bay,  chiefly  eastern; 
in  the  West  to  Utah,  Nevada  and  California.  Nowhere  common. 
No  extralimital  records  except  Cuba  and  Bermuda.  Breeds 
from  Connecticut,  northern  Indiana  and  Wisconsin  northward, 
and  winters  in  the  southern  States,  often  met  with  on  rice  fields 
in  Louisiana. 

In  Missouri  an  apparently  rare  or  irregular  transient  visitant 
chiefly  in  April.  Earliest  date  of  capture,  March  27,  1876, 
Hurter  collection.  Records  are  chiefly  from  the  Mississippi 
bottom  north  of  St.  Louis,  but  there  is  a  specimen  in  Mr.  Chas. 
W.  Tindall's  collection  taken  near  his  home,  Independence,  and 
one  in  the  collection  of  Dr.  G.  C.  Rinker  at  Union ville.  Mr.  E. 
S.  Currier  regards  them  as  irregular  transients  at  Keokuk,  where 
Mr.  W.  E.  Praeger  found  them  common  April  22, 1888,  and  April 
21,  1889,  at  Sand  Ridge,  Clark  Co.,  Mo.  In  the  late  and  cold 
spring  of  1897  Mr.  0.  Poling  found  it  numerous  in  May  near 
Quincy .  Mr .  Chas .  K .  Worthen  thinks  that  they  sometimes  breed 
near  Warsaw,  111.,  as  he  has  found  it  occasionally  during  the 
breeding  season.  There  is  no  record  for  fall  migration,  but  this 
is  not  surprising  when  we  consider  how  difficult  it  is  to  flush 
them  or  make  them  fly  any  distance  since  they  always  prefer 
to  escape  by  running  and  skulking. 

216.  PORZANA  JAMAICENSIS  (Gmel.).    Black  Rail. 

Rallus  jamaicensis.     Little  Black  Rail. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  the  West  Indies  and  Chile  to  New  England 
and  Oregon.  Seems  to  breed  locally  throughout  its  range,  but 
easily  overlooked  on  account  of  its  small  size  and  secretive  habits. 
Nowhere  common.  Winters  in  Central  America. 

Taken  only  once  in  Missouri  (St.  Charles  Co.),  but  probably  of 
frequent  occurrence  in  spring  and  fall,  possibly  a  summer  resident, 
since  nests  have  been  found  in  Illinois  and  Kansas  (nest  with  8 
eggs  near  Manhattan,  June  1880;  nest  with  10  eggs,  June  19, 
1875,  Calumet  River,  Illinois).  The  earliest  date  for  the  vicinity 
of  our  state  is  March  18,  1886,  Neosho  Falls,  Kan.,  and  the  latest 
in  fall,  October  11,  1885,  Iowa  City,  la.  Since  the  above  was 
written  I  am  informed  by  Dr.  G.  C.  Rinker  of  Hamilton,  Kan., 
that  he  took  a  Black  Rail  at  Union  ville,  Putnam  Co,  Mo.,  and  has 
it  in  his  collection. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  61 


Subfamily  Gallinulinae.    Gallinules. 
218.  IONORNISMARTINICA  (Linn.).    Purple  Gallinule. 

Fulica  martinica.     Gallinula  porphyrio.     Porphyrio  martinica. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  northern  South  America,  West  Indies,  Mex- 
ico to  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States,  irregularly  north  to  Middle, 
and  casually  to  Northern  States  and  Canada.  Winters  chiefly 
south  of  United  States. 

In  Missouri  probably  only  an  accidental  visitant,  having  been 
taken  but  twice  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis;  April  18,  1877, 
Hurter  collection;  and  April  22,  1877,  near  St.  Charles  in  the 
Blanke  collection.  (A  record  from  Manhattan,  Kan.,  is  dated 
April  14,  1893,  and  one  from  northern  Illinois,  [April  24, 
1900.) 

*219.  GALLINULA  GALE  ATA  (Licht.).    Florida  Gallinule. 

Crex  galeata.     Gallinula  chloropus.     Mudhen.     Moorhen.     Waterhen. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  Brazil  and  Chile  to  southern  Canada  and 
central  California.  Breeds  throughout  its  range  and  winters 
chiefly  south  of  the  United  States. 

Twenty  years  ago  Florida  Gallinules  used  to  be  numerous 
breeders  on  the  lakes  and  sloughs  in  the  neighborhood  of  St. 
Louis.  Gradually  they  became  fewer  and  fewer  until  now  we 
must  class  them  among  the  rare  birds.  There  is  no  record  of 
their  breeding  in  the  southeast,  and  the  only  one  from  the  west 
comes  from  Independence  (Tindall,  June  1, 1904) .  In  the  bottom- 
land from  St.  Louis  northward  there  are  still  a  few  secluded  spots, 
where  they  can  raise  a  brood,  but  with  the  generally  established 
drainage  of  their  favorite  waters  the  only  places  left  to  them  will 
be  game  preserves  where  neither  drainage  nor  summer  shooting  is 
allowed.  Fortunately  Gallinules  have  learned  to  come  late, 
after  the  first  of  May,  when  the  hunting  season  is  over  and  when 
there  is  enough  plant  growth  to  afford  hiding  places.  Transients 
are  seldom  noticed ;  those  breeding  north  of  central  Missouri  seem 
to  pass  over  or  by  us  without  stopping.  The  only  record  for  a 
fall  transient  is  October  3,  1905,  St.  Louis,  a  young  of  the  year 
found  alive  with  broken  legs  in  the  street  near  one  of  the  St.  Louis 
water  towers  against  which  it  had  probably  flown  in  the  night. 
Early  in  October,  1906,  another  one,  now  in  the  bird  cage  in 
Forest  Park,  was  caught  in  the  streets  of  St.  Louis. 


62  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 


Subfamily  Fulicinae.    Coots. 
*221.  FULICA  AMERICANA  Gmel.    American  Coot. 

Fulica  atra.     Coot.     Mud  hen. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  northern  South  America  through  West 
Indies  and  whole  of  North  America  to  Canada,  rarely  to  Alaska 
and  Greenland.  Breeds  from  Texas  and  Louisiana  northward 
and  winters  from  the  Southern  States  southward. 

In  Missouri  the  Coot  is  a  very  generally  distributed  and  com- 
mon transient  visitant  from  the  middle  of  March  to  April  20  and 
from  October  10  to  November  25.  Also  a  not  very  rare  summer 
resident  and  breeder  in  suitable  localities,  not  only  in  the  flood 
plains  of  the  larger  rivers,  but  in  the  prairie  and  Ozark  regions 
and  reported  as  breeding  at  Montgomery  City  (Parker),  War- 
rensburg  (Smithson),  Independence  (Tindall),  Pierce  City  (Nehr- 
ling),  White  River  (Philo  Smith  Jr.,  Eureka  Springs),  Fayette 
(Kilpatrick). 

Order  LIMICOLAE.    Shore  Birds. 
Family  PHALAROPIDAE.    Phalaropes. 

222.  CRYMOPHILUS  FULICARIUS  (Linn.).    Red  Phalarope. 

Tringa  fulicaria.     Phalaropus  fulicarius.     Gray  Phalarope. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  parts  of  northern  hemisphere,  breeding 
within  the  Arctic  regions  and  coming  south  in  winter  chiefly 
coastwise  to  the  Carolinas  on  the  Atlantic  and  Cape  St.  Lucas 
on  the  Pacific ;  rare  in  the  interior  as  far  south  as  the  Ohio  Valley. 

Has  been  taken  two  or  three  times  in  the  Mississippi  River 
between  Missouri  and  Illinois  by  Mr.  Chas.  K.  Worthen  of  War- 
saw, 111.  Also  recorded  from  Lawrence,  Kan.,  about  40  miles 
from  our  state  line,  where  a  young  female  was  taken  November 
5,  1905.  Other  records  are  from  Illinois,  Indiana,  Wisconsin, 
Minnesota  and  Wyoming  (September  14,  1897). 

223.  PHALAROPUS  LOBATUS  (Linn.).     Northern  Phalarope. 

Tringa  lobata.  Lobipes  lobatus.  Tringa  hyperborea.  Phalaropus  hyper- 
boreus.  Lobipes  hyperboreus.  Red-necked  Phalarope.  Gray  Phalarope 
(winter). 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  hemisphere,  breeding  in  America  from 
Labrador  and  Greenland  both  in  wooded  country  and  on  Barren 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  63 

Grounds  to  Alaska.  In  winter  to  the  tropics,  migrating  chiefly 
along  the  Pacific,  less  commonly  in  the  interior  and  along  the 
Atlantic  coast. 

A  specimen  in  the  Hurter  collection  was  taken  October  9, 
1878,  near  St.  Louis.  One  in  Mr.  J.  D.  Kastendieck's  collection 
was  killed  near  Billings,  and  another  in  Mr.  A.  Lange's  possession 
was  captured  by  him  in  Platte  Co.,  Mo.,  opposite  Leaven  worth, 
Kan.  Specimens  were  obtained  at  Lincoln,  Neb.,  August  23 
and  September  18,  1904,  and  May  14,  1905;  taken  also  in  Kan- 
sas, May  25,  1883. 

224.  STEGANOPUS  TRICOLOR  (Vieill.).  Wilson's  Phalarope. 

Plialaropus   tricolor.      PJialaropus     lobatus.      Phalaropus     or    Steganopus 
Wilsoni. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  southern  South  America  to  Saskatchewan, 
chiefly  in  the  interior.  Breeds  from  Wisconsin  and  northern 
Nebraska,  the  mountains  of  Colorado  and  the  Death  Valley 
northward;  formerly  in  Illinois,  Iowa,  Kansas  and  Missouri. 
Winters  south  of  the  United  States. 

In  Missouri  this  beautiful  and  graceful  bird,  formerly  common, 
must  now  be  classed  with  the  rarer  transient  visitants.  It  should 
be  looked  for  in  the  latter  part  of  April  and  first  of  May  and  in 
August  and  September.  Earliest  date  in  spring,  April  22,  1880, 
St.  Louis,  Hurter  collection,  and  in  fall,  August  5, 1878,  St.  Louis, 
Hurter  collection.  Mr.  Currier  found  it  near  Keokuk,  May  6, 
1898.  Mr.  Tindall  at  Independence,  May  1,  1900.  There  is  a 
fine  specimen  in  Mr.  Kastendieck's  collection.  Mr.  H.  Nehrling 
found  it  with  young  in  July,  1884,  in  Lawrence  Co.,  and  it  may 
still  be  a  local  breeder  in  some  parts  of  the  state.  In  Hayden's 
Report  on  the  Natural  History  of  the  Upper  Missouri  in  1855, 
'56  and  '57,  we  read:  " Quite  abundant  during  spring  months 
along  marshy  bottoms  and  lakes  of  the  lower  Missouri  River." 

Family  RECURVIROSTRIDAE.    Avocets  and  Stilts. 

225.  RECURVIROSTRA  AMERICANA  Gmel.    American  Avocet. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  Guatemala  and  West  Indies  to  lat.  54°, 
rarely  as  far  north  as  Great  Slave  Lake;  common  from  Kansas 
and  Nebraska  westward;  now  rare  in  the  eastern  United  States 
and  accidental  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  Breeds  locally  in  most  of 
the  western  states,  but  now  chiefly  in  Alberta,  Assiniboia  and 


64  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Saskatchewan.    Winters   in   southern   California,    but   mainly 
south  of  the  United  States. 

In  eastern  Missouri  the  Avocet  has  always  been  regarded  as  a 
rare  transient  visitant.  A  female  in  the  Hurter  collection  taken 
near  St.  Louis  is  dated  October  28,  1878.  Mr.  Praeger  saw  a 
mounted  specimen  which  was  killed  on  the  bars  in  the  Missis- 
sippi near  Keokuk  previous  to  1885.  In  western  Missouri  it 
seems  to  be  less  rare.  Mr.  Thad  Surber  met  with  a  flock  of  one 
hundred,  April  8,  1894,  near  Stotesbury  in  Vernon  Co.,  and  Mr. 
A.  Lange  of  Leaven  worth,  Kan.,  took  some  Avocets  in  Platte 
Co.,  Mo. 

[226.  HIMANTOPUS  MEXICANUS  (MiilL).    Black-necked  Stilt.] 

Charadrius     mexicanus.      Himantopus    nigficollis.      Recurvirostra   himan- 
topus.     Stilt.     White  Snipe '(Utah).     Lawyer.     Long-Shanks. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  northern  Brazil  and  Peru  to  northern 
United  States,  now  rare  in  eastern  United  States  except  Florida. 
Breeding  area  in  United  States  now  restricted  to  the  West  from 
Mexico,  southwestern  Texas  and  Colorado  to  Oregon.  Winters 
from  Florida  and  Louisiana  southward  through  West  Indies, 
Mexico  and  Central  America  to  Brazil  and  Peru. 

As  there  are  five  records  of  its  capture  near  Omaha,  Neb., 
April  20,  1895,  May  6,  1894,  May  10,  1893,  and  October  3  and  9, 
1894,  it  is  very  probable  that  stragglers  can  be  found  in  western 
Missouri,  if  students  will  look  out  for  them  on  flooded  lands  after 
heavy  rains  in  spring  and  fall. 

Family  SCOLOPACIDAE.    Snipes,  Sandpipers,  etc. 
*228.  PHILOHELA  MINOR  (Gmel.).    American  Woodcock. 

Scolopax  minor.     Rusticola  minor.    Microptera  americana. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  southern  Canada  from 
Nova  Scotia  and  New  Brunswick  to  Manitoba;  west  to  the 
Plains;  breeding  throughout  its  range  and  wintering  in  the 
southern  states. 

In  spite  of  all  persecution  the  Woodcock  is  still  a  fairly  common 
summer  resident  in  eastern  Missouri ;  some  winter  in  the  Penin- 
sula, but  the  bulk  returns  to  it  in  February,  to  southern  Missouri 
generally  early  in  March  and  to  northern  Missouri  in  the  latter 
part  of  that  month,  where  they  remain  till  the  middle  of  Novem- 
ber. Young  birds  well  on  the  wing  were  seen  June  2,  1905,  in 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.     65 

St.  Charles  Co.  Though  Mr.  Nehrling  found  the  Woodcock  com- 
mon in  autumn  1884  in  Lawrence  Co.  and  mounted  specimens 
are  in  the  collections  of  Mr.  LeBlanc  at  Springfield  and  Mr. 
Kastendieck  at  Billings,  the  species  does  not  seem  to  be  of  fre- 
quent occurrence  in  the  western  part  of  the  state. 

230.  GALLINAGO  DELICATA.  (Ord).    Wilson's  Snipe. 

Scolopax  delicata.  Scolopax  gaUinago.  Scolopax  Wilsoni.  Gallinago 
Wilsoni.  Scolopax  Drummondi.  Scolopax  Douglasii.  Am.  Snipe, 
Long-bill.  Jack  Snipe. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  northern  South  America  through  Central 
America  and  West  Indies  north  to  the  Arctic  circle.  Breeds 
from  northern  United  States  northward  and  winters  from 
Florida  and  southern  Texas  southward. 

In  Missouri  the  Snipe  is  a  common  transient  visitant  of  general 
distribution,  both  east  and  west,  spring  and  fall,  though  varying 
much  both  in  time  of  presence  and  in  numbers.  In  some  seasons 
the  first  Snipes  are  taken  in  the  neighborhood  of  St.  Louis  in  the 
second  half  of  February  (February  17,  1897;  February  20,  1898; 
February  24, 1886;  February  28, 1904;  in  others  in  the  first  part 
of  March,  in  some  years  not  before  the  midlde  of  March  (March 
15,  1888;  March  15,  1902;  March  13,  1903).  The  bulk  of  the 
species  is  present  from  the  15th  to  trie  20th  of  March  till  from 
the  20th  to  25th  of  April;  the  last  are  all  gone  before  the  end 
of  the  month.  In  the  more  northern  parts  of  the  state  the  first 
appear  seldom  before  the  middle  of  March  (March  13,  1900, 
Keokuk),  usually  between  the  20th  and  the  25th  and  remain  to 
the  close  of  April,  sometimes  into  May  (May  9, 1896,  St.  Joseph; 
May  7,  1894;  May  7,  1897;  May  12,  1895,  Keokuk).  In  their 
southward  migration  in  fall  they  are  even  more  uncertain  in  time 
and  numbers  than  in  spring.  Exceptionally  early  dates  are 
August  17,  1897,  and  September  3,  1893,  Keokuk,  and  August  31, 
1886,  St.  Louis.  After  the  middle  of  September  their  appearance 
may  be  expected  along  our  northern  boundary  (September  19, 
1902;  September  20,  1899,  Keokuk).  In  central  Missouri  the 
first  are  taken  in  the  second  week  of  October,  but  Snipes  are 
seldom  plentiful  in  Missouri  before  the  middle  of  October  and  cease 
to  be  so  after  the  first  week  of  November,  though  some  linger  into 
the  latter  part  of  the  month  (November  21,  1897  and  1899; 
November  24,  1896  and  1900,  Keokuk)  and  exceptionally  longer 
(December  14,  1904,  St.  Charles  Co.)  even  in  northern  Missouri. 
In  the  most  southern  part  of  the  state  a  few  may  remain  in  mild 


66  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

winters,  as  they  are  known  to  do  in  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Illinois. 
The  new  game  protection  law  of  Missouri  gives  no  protection  to 
this  species,  the  open  season  extending  over  the  whole  period  of 
its  presence  in  the  state,  namely  from  September  15  to  April  30. 

[231.  MACRORHAMPHUS  GRISEUS  (Gmel.).    Dowitcher.] 

Scolopax  grisea.      Scolopax  noveboracensis.     Red-breasted  Snipe.     Brown 
Back.     Gray  Snipe.     Gray-back  (winter). 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  breeding  far  north; 
south  in  winter  to  Brazil.  Irregularly  to  Alaska,  Oregon, 
Idaho,  Nebraska  and  formerly  common  in  Wisconsin. 

As  the  two  species  of  this  genus  were  formerly  regarded  as 
varieties  and  were  said  to  be  indistinguishable  in  the  winter  and 
immature  plumage,  not  enough  attention  was  paid  to  them  to 
enable  us  to  say  in  what  proportion  they  visited  the  state  while 
Dowitchers  were  yet  plentiful;  but  since  it  is  known,  that  the 
eastern  form  or  species  occurs  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  along 
with  the  western,  the  claim  for  a  place  in  our  list  may  yet  be 
established. 

232.  MACRORHAMPHUS    SCOLOPACEUS  (Say).     Long-billed    Do- 
witcher. 

Limosa  scolopacea.      Macrorhamphus    griseus    scolopaceus.      Red-bellied 
Snipe.     Red-bellied  Dowitcher.     Greater  Long-beak. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  North  America;  breeding  in  Alaska  to 
the  Arctic  coast;  migrating  through  western  United  States  and 
Mississippi  Valley,  rarely  through  Eastern  States,  to  Mexico. 

Twenty  years  ago  Dowitchers  were  fairly,  though  irregularly, 
common  transient  visitants  in  all  suitable  localities  of  Missouri. 
They  migrated  in  flocks,  and  large  numbers  were  sometimes  found 
in  the  St.  Louis  market,  chiefly  in  April.  In  fall  they  were  still 
more  irregular  in  their  appearance  and  have  been  known  to 
occur  from  August  to  the  end  of  October  (October  28,  1873, 
Hurter  collection).  At  present  they  must  be  classed  among  the 
rare  birds  and,  if  spring  shooting  is  not  abolished,  they  may  be 
brought  to  the  point  of  extermination. 

233.  MICROPALAMA  HiMANTOPUS  (Bonap.).    Stilt  Sandpiper. 

Tringa  himantopus.     Tringa  Douglasii.     Tringa  Auduboni. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America;  west  to  the  foot  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains;  north  to  the  Arctic  coast.  Breeds  north  of 


Widinann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  67 

the  United  States  and  winters  in  the  West  Indies,  Central  and 
South  America. 

In  Missouri  the  Stilt  Sandpiper,  which  is  said  to  move  rapidly 
through  the  United  States  spring  and  fall  (Audubon),  is  a  rare 
transient  visitant  in  August  and  September  and  very  irregularly 
in  spring.  (April  30,  1902,  Kansas  City;  September  28,  1878, 
Hurter  collection). 

234.  TRINGA  CANUTUS  Linn.     Knot. 

Tringa  cinerea.  Tringa  islandica.  Tringa  rufa.  Robin  Snipe.  Red- 
breasted  Sandpiper.  May  Bird.  Grayback  (young).  Blue  Plover 
(young). 

Geog.  Dist. — Chiefly  on  the  sea  coasts;  in  northern  hemisphere 
in  summer;  in  southern  hemisphere  in  winter.  Breeds  far  north; 
migrates  mainly  along  the  Atlantic  coast. 

The  Knot  is  probably  only  an  accidental  visitant  in  Missouri. 
It  has  been  taken  in  Platte  Co.,  opposite  Leavenworth,  Kan., 
by  Mr.  A.  Lange  of  that  city  and  another  was  taken  October, 
1874,  at  Brown ville,  Neb.,  which  is  on  the  Missouri  River 
opposite  the  northwest  corner  of  our  state;  three  others  were 
reported  from  southeastern  Nebraska,  May  16,  1896,  August  27, 
1896,  and  September  30,  1893.  Two  specimens  were  shot  in 
the  spring  at  Neosho  Falls,  Kan.,  within  fifty  miles  of  our  western 
state  line.  According  to  Prof.  Snow  the  species  was  formerly 
common  in  Kansas  (Birds  of  Kansas,  1873)  and  seems  to  have 
been  met  with  oftener  in  the  interior  generally,  especially  in 
the  region  of  the  Great  Lakes. 

235.  ARQUATELLA  MARITIMA  (Brunn.).    Purple  Sandpiper. 

Tringa  maritime,.    Winter  Snipe.    Rock  Snipe. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  portions  of  northern  hemisphere. 
In  America  chiefly  the  northeastern  portions,  breeding  in  the 
high  north  and  wintering  from  Greenland  southward  along  the 
coast  to  the  Carolinas,  casually  to  the  Great  Lakes  and  larger 
streams  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

The  Purple  Sandpiper  is  admitted  on  the  strength  of  its  being 
mentioned  in  Dr.  P.  R.  Hoy's  list  of  birds  taken  in  western  Mis- 
souri in  the  spring  of  1854. 

239.  ACTODROMAS  MACULATA  (VieilL).    Pectoral  Sandpiper. 

Tringa  maculata.    Tringa  pectoralis.    Jack  Snipe.    Grass  Snipe. 

Geog.    Dist. — Whole   of   North  America,   rare   in  California. 


68  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Breeds  in  the  Arctic  regions,  chiefly  Alaska;  migrates  through 
United  States  and  West  Indies  to  South  America  as  far  south  as 
southern  Brazil  and  Chile. 

In  Missouri  a  common  transient  visitant  from  March  15  to 
June  6  and  through  August,  September  and  October  to  the 
middle  of  November  (November  5,  1901,  November  14,  1896, 
November  24,  1900,  Keokuk,  Currier).  Mr.  Praeger  gives  it 
as  abundant  at  Keokuk  from  March  28  to  April  23,  and  from 
August  11  to  October  21.  Mr.  Nehrling  reported  it  as  very 
common  during  the  first  half  of  April  in  Lawrence  Co.  The 
species  is  said  to  be  common  at  Independence  (Tindall)  and  at 
Fayette  (Kilpatrick)  from  March  15  to  April  10.  Records  show 
that  some  linger  through  May  and  even  into  June;  (May  11, 1882, 
St.  Louis;  May  14,  1895,  May  16,  1898,  May  27,  1901,  and  June 
6, 1893,  Keokuk). 

240.  ACTODROMAS  FuscicoLLis   (Vieill.).    White-rumped  Sand- 
piper. 

Tringa    fuscicollis.      Tringa    schinzii.      Tringa    bonapartei.      Bonaparte's 
Sandpiper. 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeding  in  Arctic  regions,  chiefly  from  Hudson 
Bay  to  Mackenzie  River;  it  migrates  through  United  States, 
mainly  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  West  Indies  and  Central 
America  to  South  America  as  far  south  as  Falkland  Islands. 

In  Missouri  formerly  a  fairly  common,  now  a  rather  rare, 
transient  visitant  late  in  May  and  early  in  June,  and  again  early 
in  autumn.  Twenty  years  ago  Mr.  Nehrling  regarded  it  a 
common  transient  visitant  in'Lawrence  Co.,  and  Mr.  Kastendieck 
collected  specimens  in  1882  at  his  mill-pond  in  Christian  Co. 
Mr.  E.  S.  Currier  met  with  a  flock  of  ten  at  Sand  Ridge,  Clark 
Co.,  May  16,  1898,  and  again,  June  2,  1901,  a  flock  of  eight  near 
the  mouth  of  Des  Moines  River  on  a  sand-bar.  His  latest  date 
is  June  5,  1894,  when  the  first  was  seen  near  Keokuk,  May  22. 
Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff  found  a  flock  of  about  twelve  at  Jacks  Fork 
of  Current  River  in  Shannon  Co.,  May  15, 1907. 

241.  ACTODROMAS  BAIRDII  Coues.    Baird's  Sandpiper. 

Tringa  bairdii.    Bull-peep. 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeds  from  Hudson  Bay  along  Arctic  coast  to 
Point  Barrow  and  migrates  through  the  interior  of  North  Amer- 
ica, rarely  along  the  Atlantic  coast,  south  to  Chile  and  Patagonia. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri T69 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  migrant  from  March  till  the  close 
of  May,  and  in  fall  from  August  till  the  middle  of  October, 
often  in  company  with  its  nearest  relatives,  the  Pectoral  Sand- 
piper (October  13,  1893,  Independence,  Tindall;  October  14, 
1888,  Keokuk,  Praeger). 

242.  ACTODROMAS  MINUTILLA  (Vieill.).    Least  Sandpiper. 

Tringa  minutilla.  Tringa  wilsonii.  Tringa  pusilla.  Peep.  Mud-peep. 
Stint. 

Geog.  Dist. — The  whole  western  hemisphere;  breeding  from 
Magdalen  Islands  and  Anticosti  to  the  interior  of  Alaska;  win- 
tering from  South  Carolina  and  southern  California  southward. 

In  Missouri  the  Least  Sandpiper  is  a  fairly  common  transient 
visitant  from  the  middle  of  April  through  May  to  the  first  of 
June,  and  from  the  middle  of  August  to  November,  frequenting 
with  other  sandpipers  and  plovers  the  extensive  mud  flats  of 
the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  Rivers. 

243a.  PELIDNA  ALPINA  SAKHALINA  (Vieill.).    Red-backed  Sand- 
piper. 

Tringa  alpina  pacifica.  Tringa  cinclus.  Pelidna  pacifica.  Red-breast  or 
Red-back  (in  spring).  Lead-back  (in  fall).  Black-bellied  Sandpiper. 
Dunlin.  Ox  Bird. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America  and  Eastern  Asia,  chiefly  coast- 
wise, rare  or  irregular  in  the  interior.  Breeds  from  Hudson  Bay 
along  Arctic  coast  to  northern  Alaska.  Winters  in  California, 
the  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  coast  and  southward. 

In  Missouri  the  Red-backed  Sandpiper  is  a  rare  transient 
visitant,  spring  and  fall.  It  was  first  taken  in  the  state  by  Dr. 
J.  A.  Allen  opposite  Leavenworth,  May  1871  (Bull.  M.  C.  Z., 
vol.  3,  1872).  A  female  in  the  Hurter  collection  was  taken  near 
St.  Louis,  October  7,  1880,  and  Mr.  Praeger  took  one  near 
Keokuk,  October  4,  1885.  Dates  of  specimens  taken  near 
Lincoln,  Neb.,  are  May  22,  August  23,  September  4  and  11, 1904, 
and  May  14, 1905;  May  16  and  30, 1896 ;  May  22, 1899;  Novem- 
ber 7, 1896;  and  near  Omaha,  May  12, 1895. 

246.  EREUNETES  PUSILLUS  (Linn.).    Semipalmated  Sandpiper. 

Tringa  pusilla.  Tringa  semipalmata.  Ereunetes  petrificatus.  Sand-peep. 
Peep. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  west  to  Utah,  breeding 
from  Labrador  to  Point  Barrow  and  migrating  through  the 


70  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

United  States  south  to  the  West  Indies  and  northern  South 
America. 

In  Missouri  a  common  transient  visitant  in  late  April  and  May 
and  again  in  August  and  through  September  to  October  17. 
Earliest  in  fall,  August  6,  1887,  St.  Louis;  latest,  October  17, 
1880,  Hurter  collection. 

247.  EREUNETES  OCCIDENT ALIS  Lawr.     Western  Sandpiper. 

Ereunetes  pusillus.    Ereunetes  petrificatus  (of  western  localities). 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  North  America,  breeding  chiefly  in 
Alaska  and  migrating  through  western  United  States  r  mostly 
along  Pacific  coast,  to  Central  and  South  America.  Casually 
eastward  through  the  interior  to  the  Atlantic  coast  in  company 
with  the  Semipalmated  Sandpiper. 

Has  been  taken  a  few  times  in  spring  on  sandbars  in  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  by  Mr.  Chas.  K.  Worthen  of  Warsaw,  111.  In 
the  spring  plumage  the  Western  is  easily  distinguished  from 
the  Semipalmated  Sandpiper  by  its  bright  chestnut  on  head, 
back  and  rump. 

248.  CALIDRIS  ARENARIA  (Linn.).    Sanderling. 

Tringa  arenaria.    Calidris  calidris.    Calidris  rubidus.    Beach  Bird. 

Geog.  Dist. — Almost  cosmopolitan;  breeding  in  arctic  and 
subarctic  regions  and  in  America,  migrating  through  United 
States,  both  coastwise  and  through  interior;  wintering  from 
California  and  southern  Texas  to  Chile  and  Patagonia. 

In  Missouri  the  Sanderlings  were  formerly  fairly  common 
transient  visitants  from  the  latter  part  of  August  to  October. 
They  were  found  in  small  flocks  on  the  extensive  sand  bars  in 
the  Mississippi  River,  frequenting  the  same  place  for  weeks, 
together  with  other  sandpipers  and  plovers.  In  spring  they 
appeared  to  be  more  in  a  hurry,  never  remaining  long  in  one 
place.  Like  all  waders  their  numbers  have  greatly  decreased 
during  the  last  twenty  years  and  the  species  seems  never  to  have 
been  as  common  westward  as  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  state. 

249.  LIMOSAFEDOA  (Linn.).    Marbled  Godwit. 

Scolopax  fedoa.    Limosa  foeda.    Marlin.    Dough  Bird. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America  to  southern  Canada;  rare  on 
the  Atlantic  coast.  Breeding  formerly  from  Iowa,  Wisconsin 
and  eastern  North  Dakota  northward,  now  restricted  mainly 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  71 

to  Alberta,  Assiniboia  and  Manitoba,  becoming  scarce  every- 
where. In  winter  to  the  Gulf  coast,  California,  Mexico  and  parts 
of  Central  America  and  the  West  Indies. 

In  Missouri  Marbled  Godwits  could  formerly  be  called  fairly 
common  transient  visitants  in  April  and  September;  they  are 
now  rare. 

251.  LIMOSA  HAEMASTICA  (Linn.).    Hudsonian  Godwit. 

Scolopax  haemastica.   Limosa  hudsonica.  Black-tailed  or  Ring-tailed  Godwit 
or  Marlin. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  southern  South  America  to  Arctic  regions, 
breeding  in  the  high  north  and  wandering  through  the  east- 
ern United  States  to  South  America.  Rare  on  the  Atlantic 
coast. 

In  Missouri  a  rather  rare  transient  visitant  in  April  and  Oc- 
tober. A  male  in  the  Hurter  collection  was  taken  in  St.  Louis 
Co.,  April  19,  1872,  and  two  in  the  collection  of  the  Cuivre  Club 
were  killed  on  their  grounds  in  St.  Charles  Co. 

254.  TOT  ANUS  MELANOLEUCUS   (Gmel.).     Greater   Yellow-legs. 

Scolopax  melanoleuca.    Gambetta  melanoleuca.    Scolopax  vociferus.    Totanus 
vociferits.    Tell-tale.    Stone  Snipe.    Greater  Yellowshanks. 

Geog.  Dist. — Nearly  the  whole  of  America;  breeding  formerly 
from  Iowa,  Illinois  and  Wisconsin  northward,  at  present  from 
northern  Nebraska  north  to  the  Mackenzie  River  and  Sitka. 
In  winter  from  southern  California  and  the  Gulf  States  south  to 
Argentina  and  Chile. 

In  Missouri  Greater  Yellow-legs  are  still  fairly  common  and 
generally  distributed  transient  visitants,  especially  in  spring, 
less  so  in  fall.  The  first  appear  from  the  south  during  the  last 
week  of  March,  seldom  earlier  (March  9,  1903,  Kansas  City, 
Bryant).  They  become  more  general  during  the  second  week  of 
April  and  are  most  plentiful  in  the  second  half  of  that 'month. 
In  ordinary  seasons  they  disappear  in  the  first  half  of  May,  but 
in  cool  Mays  some  have  been  known  to  stay  toward  the  end  of 
May  and  even  into  June  (June  5,  1894,  Keokuk,  Currier).  In 
fall  migration  their  appearance  is  more  irregular.  Near  Keokuk 
they  have  been  found  as  early  as  August  28, 1899,  and  as  late  as 
November  9,  1895,  also  at  Independence  (Tindall)  November 
7,  1892,  but  they  are  most  likely  to  be  present  about  the  middle 
of  October. 


72  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

255.  TOTANUS  FLAVIPES  (Gmel.).    Yellow-legs. 

ScoUpax  flavipes.    Gambetta  flavipes.     Lesser  Tell-tale  or  Yellowshanks. 

Geog.  Dist. — Nearly  the  whole  of  America;  breeding  from 
northern  United  States  to  Arctic  ocean,  chiefly  in  the  interior; 
migrating  south  in  winter  to  southern  South  America.  Much 
rarer  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

In  Missouri  the  Yellow-legs  is  a  common  transient  visitant  oc- 
curring sometimes  in  very  large  flocks  from  the  middle  of  March 
to  the  middle  of  May,  and  in  smaller  numbers  from  August  2 
to  the  middle  of  October. 

• 

256.  HELODROMAS  SOLITARIUS  (Wils.).    Solitary  Sandpiper. 

Tringa  solitaria.     Totanus  solitarius.     Rhyacophilus  solitarius.     Totanus 
chloropygius.    Wood  Tattler.    Tip-up. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  west  to  Utah,  Wyoming, 
British  Columbia  and  Alaska.  Breeds  locally  within  the  north- 
ern and  western  United  States,  but  chiefly  northward  through 
the  Northwest  Provinces  to  latitude  64°.  Winters  in  South 
America. 

In  Missouri  a  common  transient  visitant,  never  in  flocks,  but 
scattered  along  water-courses  and  even  small  pools  throughout 
the  state  from  April  15  to  May  25,  and  from  August  1  to  October 
10,  chiefly  from  August  20  to  September  25.  Latest  in  spring, 
May  27,  1894,  Keokuk;  and  in  fall,  October  9,  1902,  Jasper  Co. 

258.  SYMPHEMIA  SEMIPALMATA  (Gmel.).    Willet. 

Scolopax  semipalmata.     Totanus  semipalmatus.     Semipalmated  Tattler. 

i 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  British  Prov- 
inces, west  to  the  Mississippi.  Breeds  from  Florida  to  New 
Jersey,  rarely  northward.  South  in  winter  to  West  Indies  and 
South  America. 

Formerly  not  separated  from  the  western  Willet  from  which 
it  differs  very  little.  Records  for  Willets  do  not  show  which  of 
the  two  subspecies  is  meant,  but  both  may  occur  in  Missouri, 
the  one  in  the  eastern,  the  other  in  the  western  part. 

258a.  SYMPHEMIA  SEMIPALMATA  INORNATA  Brewster.    Western 

Willet. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  North  America,  east  to  the  Mississippi 
Valley,  north  to  latitude  56°.  Breeds  from  Texas  and  Louisiana 
northward  and  winters  in  Mexico. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  73 

While  in  the  breeding  plumage  it  may  be  comparatively  easy 
to  tell  the  two  subspecies  apart,  in  the  plain  gray  and  white  dress 
which  they  wear  in  migration,  they  are  said  to  be  distinguishable 
only  by  size,  but  even  this  difference  is  said  to  be  not  absolutely 
reliable.  All  Willets  taken  in  Missouri  should  therefore  be  sub- 
jected to  a  close  scrutiny  to  establish  their  identity  as  subspecies. 
In  Missouri  Willets  were  formerly  fairly  common  transient 
visitants  in  late  April  and  early  May,  and  again  in  September. 
That  they  occurred  even  in  large  flocks  is  proved  by  Audubon, 
who  writes  in  his  Journal  that  he  met  with  a  large  flock  of  Willets 
near  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  May  5,  1843.  At  present  they  are  con- 
sidered fare  throughout  the  state.  An  exceptionally  late  date 
is  given  by  Mr.  Currier  of  Keokuk,  namely  October  27,  1896. 

*261.  BARTRAMIA   LONGICAUDA   (Bechst.).     Bartramian  Sand- 
piper. 

Tringa  longicauda.  Tringa  bartramia.  Totanus  bartramius.  Actiturus 
bartramius.  Bartram's  Tattler.  Field  Plover.  Upland  Plover.  Grass 
Plover. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  Nortji  America,  west  to  Utah  and 
Oregon,  north  to  Nova  Scotia  and  Alaska.  Breeds  throughout 
most  of  North  American  range,  but  chiefly  in  the  prairie  and 
plains  region  with  its  breeding  center  in  western  Manitoba  and 
eastern  Assiniboia.  Winters  in  South  America,  as  far  south  as 
Brazil  and  Peru. 

In  Missouri  Field  Plovers  used  to  be  fairly  common  summer 
residents  in  the  Ozark  border  and  Prairie  regions ;  in  some  local- 
ities a  few  may  still  be  found  nesting  (Appleton  City,  Prior, 
1906),  but  with  an  open  season  till  the  first  of  May  there  is  little 
hope  for  them.  In  migration,  too,  their  numbers  have  been 
greatly  reduced,  not  one-tenth  of  the  transient  visitants  of  twenty 
years  ago  being  left.  In  the  southern  part  of  the  state  the  first 
Field  Plovers  make  their  appearance  in  the  latter  part  of  March, 
in  northern  Missouri  seldom  before  the  middle  of  April.  Tran- 
sients are  mostly  gone  by  the  first  of  May,  but  begin  to  reappear 
in  family  groups  the  middle  of  July  and  continue  to  be  present 
through  August  and  nearly  to  the  end  of  September. 

262.  TRYNGITES  SUBRUFICOLLIS  (VieilL).     Buff-breasted  Sand- 
piper. 

Tringa  rufescens.    Tryngites  rufescens.    Tringa  subruficottis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Common  on  their  breeding-grounds  along  the 
Arctic  coast  and  on  the  Barren  Grounds  from  Anderson  River 


74  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

to  Point  Barrow,  and  breeding  scatteringly  in  other  parts  of  the 
north  from  Ontario,  Minnesota  and  British  Columbia;  it  is 
strangely  scarce  in  the  United  States  in  migration,  except  perhaps 
on  the  coast  prairie  of  western  Louisiana  and  Texas,  where  it 
is  found  in  dense  flocks  in  spring.  It  is  not  found  in  California 
and  very  rarely  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  In  winter  it  goes  to 
South  America  as  far  as  Uruguay  and  Peru;  frequently  found 
in  Europe  and  Cuba. 

On  September  15,  1901,  Mr.  Chas.  W.  Tindall  killed  nine 
Buff-breasted  Sandpipers  on  a  sandbar  in  the  Missouri  River 
near  Independence.  Mr.  Chas.  K.  Worthen  of  Warsaw,  111., 
once  took  a  small  flock  of  this  species  on  a  sandbar  in  the  Missis- 
sippi River.  There  are  quite  a  number  of  fall  records  from  the 
neighborhood  of  Chicago,  and  from  southeastern  Nebraska, 
among  them  two  of  recent  date,  September  11,  and  18,  1904, 
Lincoln,  Neb.;  but  spring  records  are  few,  through  G.  S.  Agers- 
borg  states  (Auk  vol.  2,  p.  286),  that  he  found  the  Buff-breasted 
Sandpiper  in  southeastern  South  Dakota  in  abundance  in  spring, 
"when  it  arrives  in  large  flocks.  Only  very  few  are  seen  on  the 
return  passage." 

*263.  ACTITISMACULARIA  (Linn.).   Spotted  Sandpiper. 

Tringa  macularia.     Totanus  macularius.     Tringoides  macularius.     Peet- 
weet.    Sand-lark.    Tip-up.    Teeter-tail.    Common  Sandpiper. 

Geog.  Dist. — Whole  of  North,  Middle  and  South  America, 
except  Greenland.  Breeds  throughout  the  United  States  and 
almost  to  the  Arctic  coast.  Winters  south  of  the  United  States, 
going  as  far  south  as  southern  Brazil. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  summer  resident  along  the  large 
rivers  from  April  15  to  October  20,  and  a  common  transient 
visitant  in  spring  on  all  streams,  ponds  and  lakes,  and  in  July, 
August  and  September  numerous  on  the  sandbars  of  the  larger 
rivers. 

264.  NUMENIUS  LONGIROSTRIS  Wils.    Long-billed  Curlew. 

Sickle-bill. 

Geog.  Dist. — Formerly  an  inhabitant  of  the  whole  United 
States,  breeding  from  Texas  northward  as  well  as  in  the  South 
Atlantic  States  and  locally  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  north  to 
Wisconsin  and  Minnesota ;  now  their  breeding  range  is  restricted 
to  the  western  and  northwestern  states,  east  to  western  Kansas 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  75 

and  western  Nebraska,  north  through  Assiniboia  and  Alberta  into 
British  Columbia.  In  winter  to  California,  the  Gulf  coast 
and  south  to  some  parts  of  the  West  Indies  and  Central 
America. 

In  Missouri  formerly  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant 
early  in  April  and  from  August  to  October  (latest  record,  October 
15,  1905,  Jasper  Co. ,  Philo.  W.  Smith,  Jr.),  now  rare  like  other 
waders  of  large  size. 

[265.  NUMENIUS  HUDSONICUS  Lath.    Hudsonian  Curlew.] 

Scolopax    borealis.      Numenius    borealis.      Numenius    intermedius.      Jack 
Curlew.    Short-billed  Curlew. 

Geog.  Dist. — Whole  western  hemisphere;  breeding  in  the  far 
North,  the  exact  localities  not  well  known,  and  migrating  through 
United  States,  chiefly  coastwise;  wintering  from  the  Gulf  states 
to  Patagonia. 

In  Missouri  probably  a  rare  transient  visitant  about  the 
middle  of  April  and  early  in  October.  Apt  to  be  confounded 
with  the  Eskimo  Curlew,  and  the  large  females  with  the  Long- 
billed  Curlew.  It  is  recorded  from  different  points  in  eastern 
Nebraska,  and  according  to  Agersborg  (Auk  vol.  2,  p.  287)  used 
to  be  a  common  migrant  in  southeastern  South  Dakota. 

266.  NUMENIUS  BOREALIS  (Forst.).    Eskimo  Curlew. 

Scolopax  borealis.    Dough-bird.    Esquimaux  Curlew. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America;  breeding  on  the 
Barren  Grounds  to  the  southward  of  Fort  Anderson  and  along 
the  coasts  of  Behring  Sea  and  Kotzebue  Sound.  Spring  migra- 
tion chiefly  through  the  interior,  generally  with  Golden  Plovers, 
formerly  very  common  on  the  plains,  now  said  to  go  by  way  of 
thinly  settled  parts  of  western  Nebraska  and  western  Kansas. 
In  autumn  migration  formerly  common  in  New  England,  now 
flying  from  Nova  Scotia  south  over  the  ocean.  In  winter  south 
throughout  South  America. 

In  Missouri  a  now  rare  transient  visitant  in  spring,  formerly 
very  common  in  western  Missouri  late  in  March  and  throughout 
April.  Mr.  Thad.  Surber  reports  seeing  a  flock  of  one  hundred  in 
Vernon  Co.,  April  16,  1894.  Mr.  W.  G.  Savage  met  with  a  flock 
of  ten  in  Jasper  Co.,  May  1, 1902. 


76  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 


Family  CHARADRIIDAE.  Plovers. 
270.  SQUATAROLA  SQUAT AROLA  (Linn.).    Black-bellied  Plover. 

Tringa  squatarola.  Squatarola  helvetica.  Charadrius  helveticus.  Chara- 
drius  apricarius.  Beetle-head.  Bull-head.  Ox-eye. 

Geog.  Dist. — Nearly  cosmopolitan,  but  chiefly  in  the  northern 
hemisphere.  In  America  breeding  from  Hudson  Bay  along 
Arctic  coast  to  Alaska  and  migrating  through  United  States 
both  coastwise  and  in  the  interior,  to  the  West  Indies,  Columbia 
and  Brazil. 

In  Missouri  a  rather  rare,  formerly  irregularly  common, 
transient  visitant  from  the  middle  of  April  to  the  middle  of  May, 
and  in  fall  to  the  end  of  October.  Latest  record,  November 
5,  1889,  when  Mr.  Chas.  W.  Tindall  killed  one  at  Independence. 

272.  CHARADRIUS   DOMINICUS  Mull.    American   Golden  Plover. 

Charadrius  pluvialis.  Charadrius  virginicus.  Charadrius  fulvus  var. 
virginicus.  Charadrius  marmoratus.  Green  Plover.  Field  Plover. 
Bull-head. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  hemisphere  except  coast  of  Behring 
Sea.  Breeds  in  Arctic  regions  from  Parry  Islands  to  Norton 
Sound.  Migrates  through  United  States,  chiefly  the  interior , 
in  spring,  and  along  the  Atlantic  coast  in  fall ;  very  rare  in  Cali- 
fornia. In  winter  to  South  America  as  far  south  as  Patagonia. 

In  Missouri  a  common  transient  visitant  from  latter  part  of 
March  to  nearly  the  end  of  April,  and  rarely  in  fall.  Formerly  in 
very  large  flocks  about  the  middle  of  April  on  the  marshes  and 
fields  of  northern  Missouri,  where  it  still  occurs,  but  in  much 
smaller  numbers.  The  new  law  of  1905,  which  forbids  spring 
shooting  of  plovers  in  Missouri,  will  probably  be  instrumental 
in  increasing  plovers  of  all  kinds.  Earliest  date  in  spring, 
March  23,  1872,  St.  Louis  (Hurter  collection) ;  latest  April  30, 
1892,  Keokuk  (Currier).  Fall  records  are  from  Keokuk  (Currier) 
October  19,  1902,  October  29,  1893  and  November  9,  1895; 
from  Independence,  November  8,  1892,  when  Mr.  Chas.  W. 
Tindall  killed  one  on  a  sand  bar  in  the  Missouri  River. 


*273.  OXYECHUS  VOCIFERUS  (Linn.).    Killdeer. 

Charadrius  vociferus.     Aegialites  vociferus.     Aegialitis  vocifera.      Killdee 
Plover. 

Geog.   Dist. — United  States,  Mexico  and  southern  Canada, 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  77 

breeding  throughout  its  range,  wintering  from  California  and 
the  Gulf  States  southward  to  northern  South  America. 

In  Missouri  it  may  still  be  called  a  common  transient  visitant 
spring  and  fall,  though  it  is  by  no  means  as  abundant  as  formerly, 
when  it  was  also  well  known  as  a  summer  resident,  not  only  in  the 
prairie  region  of  the  north  and  west,  but  also  in  the  Ozark  border 
region  and  even  in  the  valleys  of  the  Ozarks  themselves.  A 
few  may  still  breed  in  the  state,  as  it  is  reported  to  do  so  at  Apple- 
ton  City  by  Mr.  C.  W.  Frier,  1906.  Killdeers  are  among  the 
first  migrants  to  return  to  us  in  earliest  spring.  The  first  reach 
Missouri  during  the  latter  part  of  February  (February  17, 1898, 
St.  Louis;  February  18,  1902,  Jasper  Co.;  February  26,  1904, 
St.  Charles  Co.;  February  28,  1904,  Independence;  February 
28,  1893,  Keokuk).  The  bulk  of  transients  is  with  us  from  the 
middle  of  March  to  the  middle  of  April,  and  in  fall  from  September 
1  to  the  middle  of  November.  Exceptionally  late  dates  are 
November  17,  1896,  Keokuk;  November  26,  1905,  Jasper  Co. 
(Philo.  Smith) ;  and  December  18,  1887,  St.  Louis. 

274.  AEGIALITIS  SEMIPALMATA   Bonap.    Semipalmated   Plover. 

Tringa  hiaticula  Wils.  Charadrius  hiaticida  Ord.  Charadrius  semipalmatus. 
Semipalmated  Ring  Plover.  Ring  Plover.  Ring-neck. 

Geog.  Dist. — Arctic  and  subarctic  America  from  Ungava 
Bay  to  Norton  Sound,  rarely  south  to  Ontario  and  Manitoba. 
Migrates  through  United  States  and  winters  from  Louisiana  and 
Texas  to  Brazil,  Peru  and  Galapagos  Islands. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant  from  April  20 
to  May  20,  and  in  fall  from  August  20  to  September  25  in  scat- 
tered flocks  on  the  mud-flats  of  our  larger  rivers  together  with 
other  plovers  and  sandpipers. 

277a.  AEGIALITIS     MELODA    CIRCUMCINCTA      Ridgw.       Belted 
Piping  Plover. 

Lately  and  apparently  unnecessarily  separated  from  Aegialitis  meloda, 
the  Piping  Plover  of  the  Atlantic  States,  Charadrius  hiaticida  var.  Wils., 
Charadrius  melodus  of  Ord.,  Aud.  etc. 

Geog.  Dist. — Mississippi  Valley,  Manitoba  and  Assiniboia, 
west  to  Wyoming.  Breeding  formerly  from  Illinois,  Indiana  and 
southern  Wisconsin  northward,  now  from  northern  Nebraska. 
Also  found  on  the  Magdalen  and  Sable  Islands.  Winters  from 
the  Gulf  coast  southward. 


78  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

In  Missouri  now  a  rather  rare  transient  visitant  about  May  1, 
and  more  commonly  in  August  and  September  with  other  waders 
on  the  mud-flats  and  sand  bars  of  the  larger  rivers. 

Subfamily  Arenariinae.  Turnstones. 

283.  ARENARIA  MORINELLA  (Linn.).    Ruddy  Turnstone. 
Tringa  interpres.    Strepsiles  interpres.    Calico-back. 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeding  in  arctic  America  from  Mackenzie 
River  eastward;  in  migration  southward  through  the  United 
States,  coastwise  and  by  way  of  Great  Lakes  and  larger  rivers 
to  South  America  as  far  south  as  Patagonia  and  Falkland 
Islands. 

In  Missouri  a  transient  visitant  on  the  sand  bars  of  the  Missis- 
sippi River  from  the  middle  of  August  to  the  middle  of  September. 
Occurs  probably  also  in  spring,  as  it  has  been  taken  on  the 
Missouri  River  near  Omaha  in  May  and  on  the  Mississippi  at 
Burlington,  May  21,  1892.  A  male  was  taken  on  the  Kansas 
River  near  Topeka,  Kan.,  August  16, 1898,  and  a  single  specimen 
in  winter  plumage  was  observed  on  a  sandbar  near  Cairo,  111., 
by  Mr.  E.  W.  Nelson,  August  30,  1875. 

ORDER  GALLINAE.    Gallinaceous  Birds. 
Suborder  Phasiani,    Pheasants,  Grouse,  Partridges,  Quails,  etc. 

Family  TETRAONIDAE.   Grouse,  Partridges. 

Subfamily  Perdicinae.     Partridges. 
*289.  COLINUS  VIRGINIANUS  (Linn.).    Bob-white. 

Tetrao  virginianus.    Perdix  virginiana.    Ortyx  virginianus.    Quail  (in  New 
England).    Partridge  (Middle  and  Southern  States). 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States,  north  to  southern  Maine, 
southern  Ontario  and  Minnesota,  west  to  South  Dakota,  Nebraska, 
Kansas,  Oklahoma  and  eastern  Texas.  Lately  introduced  into 
New  Mexico,  Colorado,  Utah,  Idaho,  California,  Oregon  and 
Washington.  Breeds  throughout  its  range  and  is  non-migratory, 
able  to  withstand  the  rigors  of  the  northern  states,  where  with 
sufficient  protection  in  winter  it  would  become  half-domesti- 
cated and  very  plentiful. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  79 

According  to  our  new  game  law  of  1905  November  and  De- 
cember are  the  only  months  in  which  Bob-whites  may  lawfully 
be  killed  in  Missouri,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  this  lovely  bird 
may  regain  its  former  abundance.  Feeding  the  whole  year 
round  on  insects,  weedseeds,  and  waste  grain  it  is  one  of  the  most 
beneficial  birds  on  the  farm  and  should,  therefore,  receive  all  the 
protection  the  farmer  can  give.  Though  generally  considered 
non-migratory,  local  migrations  from  exposed  to  more  sheltered 
places  have  often  been  noticed,  and  according  to  Dr.  A.  F. 
Eimbeck  of  New  Haven,  Franklin  Co.,  a  regular  north  and  south 
migration  is  a  fact  well  known  to  people  living  along  the  shores 
of  the  Missouri  River,  where  Quails  are  seen  toward  evening 
flying  across  the  river,  southward  in  September,  northward  in 
April.  The  river  being  over  half  a  mile  wide  some  of  the  birds 
become  exhausted  and  fall  into  the  water  where  they  are  picked 
up  by  the  people  along  the  shore. 

Subfamily  Tetraoninae.     Grouse. 
*300.  BON  ASA  UMBELLUS  (Linn.).    Ruffed  Grouse. 

Tetrao  umbellus.    Pheasant.    Partridge  (in  northern  states). 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  southern  Canada, 
south  along  the  Alleghanles  to  Georgia  and  eastern  Tennessee; 
sparingly  through  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Illinois  to  Missouri  (nor- 
thern Arkansas);  west  to  eastern  Nebraska  and  Minnesota. 
Non-migratory. 

Until  twenty  years  ago  the  Ruffed  Grouse,  here  called  Pheas- 
ant, was  numerous  in  most  wooded  parts  of  Missouri.  Early 
travelers  mention  it.  Audubon  killed  a  pair  at  the  mouth 
of  Grand  River,  April  30,  1843,  and  Dr.  Hoy  has  it  in  his 
list  of  birds  found  above  Boonville  in  early  summer,  1854. 
In  1872  Trippe  found  it  an  abundant  breeder  in  Decatur 
Co.,  la.,  just  across  our  northern  state  boundary,  and 
Mr.  Nehrling  saw  a  specimen  killed  in  1883  near  Pierce 
City  in  the  Ozark  border  region  of  southwest  Missouri.  Dr. 
Eimbeck  and  his  brother,  who  has  a  very  fine  mounted  male 
in  his  collection,  say  it  was  common  near  New  Haven  until 
about  1886.  About  that  time  Mr.  Hurter  received  a  set  of  eggs 
from  Pevely,  Jefferson  Co.  Mr.  W.  F.  Rasmus  born  in  1838 
near  Marthas ville,  Warren  Co.,  writes  that  in  his  youth  pheasants 
were  plentiful  near  his  home  as  well  as  near  Herman  and  Wash- 


80  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

ington,  where  he  lived  later  for  a  while.  In  1888  Professor 
Kilpatrick  reported  from  Fayette,  Howard  Co.,  "  formerly 
plenty,  now  scarce."  Mr.  F.  C.  Pellet  of  Salem  stated  recently 
that  pheasants  were  once  found  in  Dent  Co.,  but  are  not  found 
there  now.  Mr.  W.  G.  Savage  writes  me  that  fifteen  years  ago 
pheasants  were  considered  common  in  Shannon  Co.  and  that 
some  still  occur  there,  though  rarely.  One  was  shot  near  Mon- 
teer  in  the  winter  of  1905-'06.  Mr.  B.  T.  Gault  met  with  Ruffed 
Grouse  in  two  places  near  Edgehill  in  Reynolds  Co.  in  June 
1894.  Mr.  E.  S.  Currier  found  a  nest  with  eggs  on  hilly  ground 
in  Lee  Co.,  la.,  just  across  the  Des  Moines  River  from  Clark  Co., 
Mo.,  about  ten  years  ago. 

Although  Ruffed  Grouse  must  at  present  be  regarded  as  rare 
in  Missouri,  there  are  some  very  recent  records  which  prove  that 
they  are  not  entirely  exterminated.  Dr.  Williams  of  Flat 
River  knows  where  to  find  pheasants  along  the  Big  River  in 
St.  Francois  Co.  and  Dr.  W.  Mills  and  Mr.  Jul.  Volkman  of  Web- 
ster Groves  have  lately  located  small  colonies  along  the  Meramec 
River  in  St.  Louis  Co.  and  on  the  bluffs  of  the  Missouri  River 
in  Franklin  Co.  Mr.  Philo  Smith  foun.d  pheasants  only  a  few 
years  ago  in  the  hills  back  of  Herman  in  Gasconade  Co.  The 
new  game  law  (section  10)  prohibits  their  capture  or  killing 
until  December  1,  1910,  when  it  is  expected  they  will  again  be 
plentiful  enough  to  permit  an  open  season  of  one  month  in  late 
fall  or  early  winter.  While  they  formerly  inhabited  not  only 
the  hilly  part  of  the  state,  but  also  the  slopes  along  the  then 
wooded  river  bottoms  of  northern  Missouri,  they  are  now  re- 
stricted to  the  bluff  regions  of  the  larger  rivers  and,  to  a  less 
extent,  to  ravines  and  hillsides  along  some  of  the  smaller  streams, 
but  are  never  found  on  the  wide  ridges  of  the  Ozarks  themselves, 
where  conditions  do  not  seem  to  suit  them.  Some  think  the 
reason  why  Ruffed  Grouse  are  not  more  plentiful  in  the  Ozarks 
and  why  they  have  entirely  disappeared  from  localities  where 
they  were  not  much  molested  by  man,  is  to  be  found  in  the  ter- 
rible increase  and  spread  of  the  chigger  (Trombidium),  which 
is  said  to  kill  the  young  grouse.  That  the  chigger,  carried  from 
place  to  place  by  pasturing  animals,  is  steadily  increasing  and 
alarmingly  spreading  to  regions  not  infested  before,  is  a  well- 
known  fact  nearly  throughout  Missouri  and,  since  enemies  may 
determine  the  breeding  range  of  an  animal  as  well  as  food  and 
other  conditions,  I  give  it  as  a  not  impossible  theory.  Another 
explanation  of  their  disappearance  from  the  forests  of  the  Ozarks 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  81 

may  be  found  in  the  annual  burning  over  of  the  floor  of  these 
forests  in  the  erroneous  opinion  the  grazing-ground  is  thereby 
improved.  As  this  custom  has  been  followed  for  fifty  years, 
it  has  succeeded  in  extirpating  a  large  number  of  plants,  some  of 
which  may  formerly  have  been  helpful  or  needed  in  making 
the  region  a  desirable  abode  for  the  Ruffed  Grouse. 

*305.  TYMPANUCHUS  AMERICANUS  (Reich.).    Prairie  Hen. 

Tetrao  cupido.    Cupidonia  cupido.    Pinnated  Grouse.    Prairie  Chicken. 

Geog.  Dist. — Prairies  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  from  Louisiana 
and  Texas  to  Manitoba,  now  rare  east  of  the  Mississippi  River 
wast  through  eastern  parts  of  the  Dakotas,  Nebraska  and  Kan- 
sas with  a  tendency  to  spread  with  deforestation  and  the  settle- 
ment of  the  country,  but  disappearing  when  the  population 
becomes  dense. 

That  the  Prairie  Hen  was  once  a  common  resident  in  the 
prairie  region  of  Missouri,  there  is  ample  proof,  but  as  long  ago 
as  1888  reports  came  from  observers  in  the  state  with  that  la- 
mentable annotation  so  often  met  with  in  recent  bird  list 
"Once  common,  now  rare."  With  the  increase  of  population 
and  prosperity  the  number  of  hunters  increased  wonderfully 
during  the  last  decade,  and  when  the  new  game  law  of  1905 
was  framed,  the  danger  of  total  extinction  of  the  Prairie  Hen 
seemed  imminent,  but  instead  of  following  the  example  of  other 
states  prohibiting  all  killing  for  a  number  of  years,  the  legis- 
lature made  an  open  season  from  November  15  to  December  15. 
In  a  state  which  issues  over  65,000  hunters  licenses  one  month's 
open  season  undoubtedly  suffices  to  prevent  any  considerable 
increase  of  the  small  remnants  left.  But  even  with  the  best 
protection  laws  the  Prairie  Chicken,  such  an  easy  mark  for  every 
boy  hunter — and  every  Missouri  boy  in  city  or  on  farm  is  a 
hunter  now-a-days — ,has  no  prospect  of  ever  becoming  numerous 
again  except  on  well-guarded  preserves,  where  they  may  easily 
become  semi-domesticated.  Though  as  a  rule  non-migratory 
the  Prairie  Hen  of  northern  Iowa  and  Minnesota  has  been  known 
to  migrate  (some  say  the  females  only)  southward  into  and 
through  western  Missouri  in  November  and  December,  returning 
northward  in  March.  Large  flocks  of  such  transients  or  winter 
visitants  were  noticed  formerly,  but  their  numbers  seem  to  be 
too  much  reduced  everywhere  to  notice  such  a  movement  at 
the  present  time. 


82  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

307.  TYMPANUCHUS  PALLIDICINCTUS  Bidgw.    Lesser  Prairie  Hen. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  edge  of  the  plains  from  Kansas  south 
to  western  Texas.  A  specimen  of  this  smaller,  paler-colored 
species  in  the  Hurter  collection  is  said  to  come  from  southwestern 
Missouri. 

In  the  Nuttall  Bulletin,  vol.  2,  p.  52,  Geo.  N.  Lawrence  writes : 
"In  the  latter  part  of  January  1877  I  found  in  Fulton  Market 
(New  York)  about  thirty  specimens  of  this  form.  *  *  * 
I  ascertained  that  they  came  from  Pierce  City,  southwestern 
Missouri.  *  -  *  *  I  lately  learned  from  a  large  dealer  that 
they  had  been  quite  abundant  in  market,  all  coming  from 
Southern  Missouri." 

Family  PHASIANIDAE.     Pheasants  and  Turkeys. 

PHASIANUS  COLCHICUS  Linn.    English  Pheasant. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eurasia  from  Black  Sea  to  Mongolia;  south  to 
Persia.  Naturalized  in  Britain  and  other  countries  of  western 
and  central  Europe. 

PHASIANUS  TORQUATUS  Gmel.     Ring-necked  Pheasant. 

Geog.  Dist. — Southern  Siberia,  Corea  and  northeastern  China. 

Several  apparently  unsuccessful  attempts  to  introduce  Pheas- 
ants into  Missouri  have  been  made.  Major  Geo.  H.  McCann 
of  Springfield,  Mo.,  president  of  the  St.  Louis  Park  and  Agri- 
cultural Co.,  and  the  best  informed  man  on  all  endeavors  of 
stocking  our  state  with  game,  was  kind  enough  to  write  to  me 
under  date  of  June  12,  1907,  the  following  interesting  account: 
"The  St.  Louis  Park  and  Agricultural  Co.  has  liberated  some- 
thing over  400  birds  about  equally  divided  of  English  and 
Ring-necked  Mongolian  Pheasants.  They  were  liberated  in 
Taney  Co.  on  our  preserve.  We  also  raised  some  32  birds 
by  the  Game-keeper's  wife  and  several  covies  were  raised  on 
and  about  the  preserve,  but  they  leave  after  the  first  frost  in 
fall  when  leaves  begin  to  drop.  They  go — where  I  know  not. 
I  don't  believe  we  have  a  pair  of  birds  on  the  preserve.  I  have 
inquired  for  miles  around  the  preserve,  they  have  seen  them, 
but  they  left.  I  have  labored  with  them  for  the  past  ten  years 
to  try  and  help  stock  our  state,  but  feel  I  have  made  com- 
plete failure.  I  can  breed  and  raise,  but  when  turned  loose 
after  a  few  days  they  are  gone.  Springfield,  Greene  Co.,  organ- 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  83 

izecl  a  club  of  some  ninety  members  a  few  years  ago,  leased 
several  thousand  acres,  raised  and  liberated  some  600  birds. 
For  a  year  we  felt  success,  but  as  with  the  St.  L.  P.  &  Agr.  Co., 
it  proved  failure  and  I  am  unable  to  locate  a  bird  in  Greene  Co. 
Some  five  or  six  thousand  dollars  has  been  spent  on  those  birds. 
I  sent  several  pairs  to  north  Missouri  with  like  results. " 

*310.  MELEAGRIS  GALLOPAVO  SILVESTRIS  (Vieill.).    Wild  Turkey. 

Meleagris  gallopavo.    Meleagris  gallopavo  fera. 

Geog.  Dist. — Formerly  entire  eastern  United  States  from 
Florida  to  Maine,  Ontario  and  Minnesota;  west  to  Kansas  and 
Nebraska;  but  at  present  extinct  or  at  the  point  of  extinction 
in  most  states  except  in  the  southern  Alleghanies,  the  Ozarks 
and  heavily  timbered  bottoms  of  southern  rivers.  Non-mi- 
gratory. 

In  Missouri  Wild  Turkeys  occurred  formerly  in  all  parts  of 
the  state,  along  the  densely  wooded  river  bottoms  of  the  prairie 
region,  in  the  flood  plains  of  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  Rivers, 
in  the  swamps  of  the  southeast  and  throughout  the  Ozarks. 
All  the  early  travelers  speak  of  the  abundance  of  the  Wild  Turkeys. 
Audubon  met  with  them  along  the  Missouri  River  to  the  north- 
west corner  of  the  state  (May  6,  1843),  and  on  his  way  back 
he  speaks  of  their  abundance,  October  14,  1843,  between 
Brunswick  and  Glasgow.  When  visiting  the  Grand  River 
valley  near  Chillicothe,  Livingston  Co.,  Dr.  Hoy  makes  the 
following  note:  "Skinned  a  fine  old  gobbler  shot  by  a  friend; 
wild  turkeys  are  plenty  in  this  vicinity."  Across  the  boundary 
of  north  central  Missouri,  Trippe  writes  from  Decatur  Co.,  la., 
in  1872:  "Not  uncommon,  but  shy  and  vigilant."  But  as  early 
as  1888  Mr.  Lientz  reports  from  Fayette,  Howard  Co.,  "  Formerly 
plenty,  now  scarce."  At  present  (1906)  Wild  Turkeys  are  all 
gone  from  northern  Missouri,  but  are  still  found  in  small  numbers 
in  most  parts  of  the  Ozarks  and  in  the  swamps  of  the  southeast. 
According  to  Dr.  W.  Mills  of  Webster  Groves  a  few  still  breed 
in  St.  Louis  and  Franklin  Go's,  and  the  species  may  hold  its  own 
for  a  while  yet,  though  with  two  months  of  open  season  (No- 
vember and  December),  which  the  new  (1905)  law  allows, 
this  will  be  a  difficult  matter. 


84  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Order  COLUMBAE.    Pigeons. 
Family  COLUMBIDAE.    Pigeons. 
315.  ECTOPISTES  MIGRATORIUS  (Linn.).    Passenger  Pigeon. 

Columba  migratoria.     Ectropistes  macrura.     Wild  Pigeon. 

Geog.  Dist. — Formerly  eastern  North  America  to  Hudson 
Bay,  west  to  Great  Plains  and  straggling  to  Wyoming,  Nevada 
and  Washington,  breeding  from  latitude  32°  in  Mississippi  to 
latitude  65°  in  Mackenize.  In  later  years  so  extremely  rare 
that  their  occurrence  anywhere  may  be  regarded  as  casual,  un- 
less it  be  some  unsettled  parts  along  the  northern  border  of  the 
United  States  or  in  Canada. 

Our  new  game  law  does  not  protect  the  Wild  Pigeon  at  all, 
considering  it  extinct  in  the  state  of  Missouri,  though  once  in  a 
while  we  find  the  capture  of  a  few  of  them  reported  in  the 
newspapers.  That  they  were  formerly  abundant  in  Missouri 
is  attested  by  the  early  travelers  and  explorers  and  is  well 
known  to  all  the  old  inhabitants.  Available  records  are  the 
following : 

1833,  April  21.  Prince  of  Wied  killed  some  above  the  mouth 
of  the  Kaw  River. 

1843,  May  6.  Audubon  killed  one  or  two  north  of  the  present 
site  of  St.  Joseph. 

1855,  '56  and  '57.  F.  V.  Hayden  says  in  his  report:  " Quite 
abundant  on  the  lower  Missouri  River. ' ' 

1872.  Large  flocks  were  observed  by  Dr.  A.  F.  Eimbeck  at 
New  Haven,  and  his  brother,  Charles  L.  Eimbeck,  who  has  two 
fine  specimens  in  his  collection  of  mounted  birds. 

1874,  April  6.  W.  E.  D.  Scott  saw  a  flock  of  seven  at  Warrens- 
burg. 

1878.  Last  seen  at  Fayette  by  Prof.  Kilpatrick  (Reported 
in  1885). 

1880,  September  29.  Mr.  J.  D.  Kastendieck  took  his  last 
WTild  Pigeon  at  Billings,  but  saw  some  several  years  afterward. 

1882,  February  5  and  6.     Several  large  flocks  were  seen  going 
north  by  the  writer  at  St.  Louis. 

1883,  Last  year  common  (in  the  fall)  at  Keokuk  (Currier). 

1884,  September  9   and  21.    Seen  at  Mt.  Carmel,  by    Mrs. 
Musick. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  85 

Sf  1885,  April  18,  September  27  (twenty),  September  28  (fifty) 
and  the  last  on  September  30  at  Mt.  Carmel. 

1885,  September  19.     Last  seen  at  St.  Louis  by  the  writer. 

1888,  October  31.  Mr.  Jasper  Blines  of  Alexandria,  Clark 
Co.,  Mo.,  writes  in  Forest  and  Stream,  vol.  31,  p.  343:  "During 
the  whole  year  I  have  seen  but  few  passenger  pigeons.  They 
were  in  former  years  very  numerous  here  and  could  be  seen  in 
flocks  composed  of  millions  of  birds  every  spring  and  fall." 

1893.  Last  shipment  of   Wild  Pigeons  received  at  St.  Louis 
by  N.  W.  Judy  &  Co.,  the  game  dealers,  who  handled  more 
dead  and  live  pigeons  than  any  other  firm  in  the  country,  and 
who  had  their  netters  employed  all  the  year  around,  tracing 
the  pigeons  to  Michigan  and  Wisconsin  in  spring  and  to  the 
Indian  Territory   and  the  south  in  winter.     Silvan  Springs, 
Ark.,  from  where  the  last  shipment  was  received  according  to 
Judy's  letter  to  Mr.  R.  Deane  (Auk,  vol.  12,  p.  298),  is  only 
twenty-five  miles  south  of  the  southwest  corner  of  the  state. 

1894,  April  15.     Mr.  E.  S.  Currier  sees  ten  pigeons  at  Keokuk, 
his  first  since  1888. 

1896,  May  19.  The  same  sees  one  among  doves,  and  again 
one  October  18  of  the  same  year. 

1896,  September  17.  Mr.  W.  Praeger  shoots  a  male  near 
Keokuk. 

1896,  December  17.     Out  of  a  flock  of  fifty  near  Attic,  Oregon 
Co.,  Mo.,  Mr.  Chas.  U.  Holden,  Jr.,  kills  a  pair  and  sends  them 
in  the  flesh  to  Mr.  R.  Deane  of  Chicago  (Auk  vol.  14,  p.  317). 

1897,  August  17.    A  flock  of  75-100  is  seen  twenty-five  miles 
west  of  our  state  line  in  Johnson  Co.,  Neb. 

1902,  September  26.  Last  seen  at  New  Haven  by  Dr.  Eim- 
beck. 

*316.  ZENAIDURA  MACROURA  (Linn.).    Mourning  Dove. 

Columba  macroura.     Columba  carolinensis.    Zenaidura  carolinensis.    Caro- 
lina Dove. 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeds  from  Mexico  and  Cuba  throughout  the 
United  States  to  Quebec,  Manitoba  and  British  Columbia  and 
winters  from  about  lat.  40°  southward  to  the  West  Indies  and 
Panama. 

In  Missouri  the  Dove  still  remains  a  common  summer  resident 
in  spite  of  almost  constant  persecution,  not  only  in  the  prairie 
and  border  regions,  but  on  all  cultivated  ground  throughout  the 


86  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Ozarks  and  the  southeast.  The  first  spring  arrivals  appear  at 
very  irregular  times,  seldom  before  the  middle  of  March,  most 
frequently  in  the  second  half  of  that  month;  about  once  in  four 
years  the  first  Doves  are  not  seen  before  some  day  in  the  first 
half  of  April,  then  soon  followed  by  the  bulk,  which  is  to  be  ex- 
pected between  April  10  and  25,  when  they  become  generally 
distributed  and  begin  nesting.  Small  troops  may  be  seen  flying 
northward  as  late  as  early  May.  Where  not  molested  they  lose 
much  of  their  timidity  and  build  nests  in  close  proximity  to 
human  habitations.  From  July  to  October,  though  not  forming 
real  flocks,  Doves  are  found  in  large  aggregations  on  the  wheat 
stubble  and  in  corn-fields,  gleaning  the  waste  grain  and  ripening 
grass  and  weed  seeds.  After  the  middle  of  October  they  become 
scarce,  but  small  numbers  continue  in  northern  Missouri  into, 
and  sometimes  through,  November,  and  in  southern  Missouri 
through  December.  As  the  law  sanctions  their  destruction  till 
the  first  of  January,  very  few  get  a  chance  to  prove  their  endur- 
ance of  our  more  severe  winter  weather  of  January  and  February, 
when  snow  and  sleet  drive  them  to  the  farmyard  for  food  and 
shelter  and  place  them  at  the  mercy  of  the  farmer. 

Order  RAPTORES.     Birds  of  Prey. 
Suborder     Sarcorlmntiplii.       American  Vultures. 

Family  CATHARTIDAE.     American  Vultures. 
*325.  CATHARTES  AURA  (Linn.).     Turkey  Vulture. 

Vultur  aura.    Rhinogryphus  aura.    Turkey  Buzzard.    Red-headed  Vulture. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  Patagonia  and  the  Falkland  Islands  to 
Assiniboia  in  the  interior,  to  British  Columbia  on  the  Pacific 
and  to  Sandy  Hook  on  the  Atlantic  side,  rarely  to  New  England 
and  the  British  Provinces.  Winters  from  southern  California, 
Ohio  River  and  Chesapeake  Bay  southward. 

The  Turkey  Vulture  or  Buzzard,  as  it  is  commonly  called, 
is  the  only  one  of  all  our  larger  birds  which  has  not  diminished 
in  numbers  during  the  past  twenty-five  years.  It  is  also  one 
of  the  few  birds  that  can  be  seen  in  any  of  the  114  counties  of 
Missouri  on  any  day  during  six  months  of  the  year  from  April 
to  October.  It  can  hardly  be  called  a  permanent  resident, 
not  even  in  the  most  southern  part  of  the  state.  Some  think 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  87 

that  a  species  can  be  said  to  winter  with  us,  when  we  see  an 
individual  in  every  one  of  the  winter  months,  but  this  is  not 
correct.  Though  frost  may  occur  in  Missouri  on  any  day  from 
the  middle  of  October  to  the  middle  of  April,  our  really  severe 
winter  weather  comes  usually  only  between  the  middle  of  January 
and  the  middle  of  February.  Moderately  cold  weather  with 
frequent  mild,  and  even  warm  spells  may  prevail  through 
December  and  part  of  January  and  induce  hardy  birds  to  remain 
with  us,  but  a  prolonged  period  of  intensely  cold,  even  zero 
weather  is  likely  to  set  in  as  late  as  the  fourth  week  of  January 
and  last  uninterruptedly  until  the  middle  of  February,  fully 
three  weeks,  when  suddenly  the  weather  may  turn  warm,  ob- 
literate all  traces  of  ice  and  snow  within  one  week  and  make  it 
possible  for  the  vanguard  of  migrants  to  invade  the  state  before 
the  end  of  the  month.  Among  the  first  to  put  in  an  appearance 
after  the  withdrawal  of  severe  weather  are  a  few  forerunners 
of  this  species,  but  records  for  February  are  not  many.  Excep- 
tionally early  dates  are  for  St.  Louis,  February  10,  1888,  and  for 
Keokuk,  February  17,  1897;  for  Mt.  Carmel,  February  18, 
1886.  The  majority  of  Turkey  Buzzards  return  in  March, 
filling  up  their  ranks  very  slowly  and  some  of  their  old  haunts  are 
not  reached  before  the  first  half  of  April.  Troops  of  migrating 
Buzzards  are  seen  late  in  March  and  early  in  April  and  again  in  the 
first  half  of  October.  After  the  middle  of  that  month  the  species 
becomes  scarce,  .but  does  not  entirely  disappear  from  the  state 
for  some  weeks  yet  and  lasts  have  been  reported  by  different 
observers  all  the  way  from  October  16,  1904,  Kansas  City, 
to  December  14  and  January  18  at  Montgomery  City,  though 
mainly  in  November.  Whether  Turkey  Vultures  have  increased 
since  the  white  man  has  settled  the  country,  is  difficult  to  say, 
but  it  is  remarkable  that  Audubon  does  not  mention  them 
among  the  birds  observed  on  his  way  up  the  Missouri  River  in 
April  1843,  while  Dr.  Hoy  found  them  "nesting  in  cliffs  all 
along  the  river"  in  April  1854.  For  reasons  only  known  to  the 
solons  of  Jefferson  City  our  latest  game  law,  that  of  1907,  has 
placed  the  Buzzard  into  section  7  together  with  the  English 
Sparrow,  Chicken  Hawk,  Blackbird  and  Crow  among  the  birds 
"not  protected  by  this  act." 

*326.  C ATH ARISTA  URUBU  (Vieill.).    Black  Vulture. 

Vultur  atratus.    Catharista  atrata.    Cathartes  atratus.    Vultur  iota.    Carrion 
Crow. 

Geog.  Dist. — South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States  to  western  Texas, 


88  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

north  to  North  Carolina,  and  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Ohio ;  casually  to  the  northern  states  and  Canada ; 
south  through  the  West  Indies,  Mexico,  Central  America  and 
in  South  America  to  lat.  41°. 

In  Missouri  a  regular,  though  not  numerous,  summer  resident 
in  the  alluvial  counties  of  the  southeast,  where  it  is  said  to  make 
its  nests  on  cypress  stumps  in  the  overflow  in  similar  situations 
as  the  Canada  Goose.  Also  seen  by  the  writer  along  the  White 
River  in  southwestern  Missouri  in  Stone  Co.  in  June  1905,  and 
in  Taney  Co.,  May  1906,  in  company  with  Turkey  Vultures. 
Mr.  H.  Nehrling  reported  it  as  having  occurred  twice  in  Law- 
rence Co.  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff  identified  one  April  29,  1907,  in 
Shannon  Co. 

Suborder  Falcones.  Falcons,  Hawks,  Buzzards,  Eagles,  Kites,  etc. 

Family  FALCONIDAE.     Falcons,  Hawks,  Eagles. 
Subfamily  Accipitrinae.     Kites,  Buzzards,  Hawks,  Eagles. 
*327.  ELANOIDES  FORFICATUS  (Linn.).    Swallow-tailed  Kite. 

Falco  forficatus.  Falco  furcatus.  Nauderus  forficatus.  Nauclerus  furcatus, 
Milvus  furcatus.  Elanus  furcatus.  Fork-tailed  Kite.  Swallow-tailed 
Hawk. 

Geog.  Dist. — Whole  of  South  and  Central  America,  and  in 
North  America  through  the  interior  north  to  Minnesota  47° 
and  North  Dakota  49°  lat. ;  on  the  Atlantic  coast  to  the  Caro- 
linas,  rarely  to  New  England;  west  casually  to  Colorado. 
Breeds  regularly  from  Ohio  River  southward;  irregularly  north 
to  Iowa,  northern  Nebraska,  southern  Wisconsin,  and  wanders 
after  the  breeding  season  in  flocks  of  various  size  indifferently 
over  the  country,  chiefly  west  of  the  Mississippi  River.  Winters 
south  of  United  States. 

In  the  cotton  field  region  of  southeastern  Missouri  the  Swallow- 
tailed  Kite  is  a  regular,  though  not  numerous,  summer  resident, 
nesting  in  the  adjoining  cypress  swamps.  In  the  rest  of  the 
state  it  is  of  very  irregular  occurrence,  though  apparently 
paying  occasional  visits  to  all  parts  of  it.  It  has  been  found 
nesting  in  Clark  Co.  in  the  northeast  corner  of  Missouri  by  Mr. 
E.  S.  Currier  of  Keokuk,  and  Mr.  John  S.  Marley  took  an  egg 
from  a  nest  near  Kansas  City.  Trippe  found  it  breeding  in 
1872  just  across  the  state  line  in  Iowa.  Nearly  all  observers  in 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  89 

Missouri  have  met  with  the  species  at  one  time  or  another. 
Audubon  saw  one  near  the  northwest  corner  of  the  state,  May 
10,  1843,  probably  near  its  breeding  ground.  Dr.  Hoy  has  it 
in  his  list  of  birds  observed  in  western  Missouri  between  April 
16  and  June  15,  1854.  Scott  noted  it  once  at  Warrensburg, 
April  15,  1874.  In  his  "Birds  of  the  North-West"  Dr.  Coues 
writes  on  page  333:  UI  had  the  pleasure  of  observing  it  myself 
in  Missouri  opposite  Fort  Leavenworth  in  May  1864."  Early  in 
the  eighties  Mr.  Nehrling  found  it  a  pretty  regular  visitant  in 
Lawrence  Co.  Mr.  Jul.  Hurter  once  observed  a  troop  of  40  in 
early  August  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis  remaining  in  the  same 
locality  over  a  week.  In  1884  Mrs.  Musick  saw  them  repeatedly 
in  troops  of  six  to  eight  at  Mt.  Carmel,  Audrain  Co.  It  was 
also  reported  from  Fayette,  May  9  and  25,  1884.  There  is  also 
one  date  saved  from  my  old  notes  lost  by  fire,  August  20,  1885, 
St.  Louis.  Mr.  Currier  and  Mr.  Praeger  give  me  the  following 
dates  of  occurrence  at  Keokuk :  March  2  and  March  19  (unusually 
early)  and  May  13,  1897.  Mr.  Tindall  saw  one  July  16, 1904,  at 
Independence,  and  Mr.  Bush,  August  30,  August  31  and  Septem- 
ber 4,  1906,  at  Courtney.  Fine  specimens  taken  in  the  state 
are  in  the  Hurter  collection  at  St.  Louis,  in  the  Eimbeck  col- 
lection at  New  Haven,  in  the  Kastendieck  collection  at  Billings, 
and  one  taken  by  Mr.  Ollie  C.  Shelley  at  Independence  loaned 
to  the  Public  Museum  of  Kansas  City. 

[328.  ELANUS  LEUCURUS  (Vieill.).    White-tailed  Kite.] 

Milvus  leucurus.    Falco  dispar.     Elanus  glaucus.     Elanus  dispar.     Black- 
shouldered  Hawk. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  Chile  and  Buenos  Ayres  to  South  Carolina 
on  the  east  (except  West  Indies),  Indian  Territory  and  Texas 
in  the  interior,  and  northern  California  on  the  Pacific.  Rare 
within  the  United  States  except  in  California,  where  fairly 
common. 

There  is  one  record  from  southern  Illinois  where  Mr.  R. 
Ridgway  observed  a  pair  at  Mt.  Carmel  in  the  summer  of  1863 
or  1864.  In  Mrs.  Bailey's  " Handbook, of  the  Birds  of  Western 
United  States,"  the  species  is  said  to  occur  to  the  latitude  of 
St.  Louis  in  the  interior,  but  no  record  of  its  occurrence  in 
Missouri  has  been  obtained.  If  it  enters  our  state,  it  is  probably 
as  an  accidental  visitant  from  the  southwest. 


90  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

*329.  ICTINIA  MISSISSIPPIENSIS  (Wils.).     Mississippi  Kite. 

Falco  mississippiensis.     Falco  plumbeus.     Ictinia  plumbea.      Ictinia  sub- 
caerulea. 

Geog.  Dist. — Southern  United  States  east  of  Rocky  Mountains ; 
south  to  Guatemala;  north  to  South  Carolina,  Missouri  and 
Kansas,  casually  to  Pennsylvania,  Michigan,  Wisconsin  and 
Dakota.  Winters  south  of  the  United  States. 

The  region  of  the  cypress  swamps  and  cotton  fields  in  the  south- 
east is  the  only  part  of  Missouri  where  Mississippi  Kites  may  be 
called  common  summer  residents,  where  half  a  dozen  or  more 
may  be  seen  circling  playfully  above  the  timber,  or  hunting 
peacefully  like  so  many  Nighthawks  low  over  the  sandy  fields. 
In  the  eighties  a  pair  made  its  home  for  several  summers  in  a 
small  secluded  piece  of  primeval  forest  in  the  southwestern  part 
of  St.  Louis,  arriving  there  near  the  end  of  April  and  remaining 
till  August.  As  most  of  the  stately  trees  have  since  then  been 
removed  and  the  place  has  become  common  hunting  ground, 
the  gentle,  dove-like  pair  is  gone,  but  a  few  Mississippi  Kites 
still  find  their  way  to  St.  Louis  County  and  probably  nest 
on  the  bluffs  of  the  Missouri  River.  There  are  no  records  for 
the  species  from  that  part  of  the  state  north  of  the  Missouri 
River,  but  the  bird  is  not  unknown  in  the  Ozark  region  of  south- 
ern Missouri.  Mr.  Kastendieck  has  specimens  in  his  collection 
taken  near  his  home  in  Billings,  Christian  Co.,  and  in  the  early 
eighties  Mr.  Nehrling  found  them  "pretty  numerous"  in  Law- 
rence Co.  The  writer  was  pleased  to  see  them  lately  (May 
1906)  in  pairs  in  Webster  and  Howell  Counties,  in  localities 
where  they  are  likely  to  survive  for  some  time  yet. 

*331.  CIRCUS  HUDSONIUS  (Linn.).    Marsh  Hawk. 

Falco   hudsonius.      Circus   cyaneus  hudsonius.     Falco   uliginosus.      Falco 
cyaneus.    Circus  cyaneus.    American  Harrier.    Mouse  Hawk. 

Geog.  Dist.— Breeds  from  Alaska,  Great  Slave  Lake,  Hudson 
Bay  and  Cape  Breton  Island  southward  to  the  southern  border 
of  the  United  States,  and  winters  from  about  lat.  40°  southward 
to  Panama  and  Cuba. 

The  Marsh  Hawk  was  undoubtedly  formerly  a  very  common 
summer  resident  in  the  prairie  region  of  Missouri.  Audubon 
met  with  it  near  the  northwest  corner  of  the  state,  May  6,  1843. 
Trippe  in  1872  called  it  abundant;  "many  breed"  in  Decatur  Co., 
la.,  just  across  the  state  line.  Mr.  E.  S.  Currier  found  it  breeding 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  91 

in  Clark  Co.  in  the  nineties,  and  it  is  reported  as  breeding  from 
Kansas  City  and  Montgomery  City.  The  last  record  comes 
from  St.  Charles  Co.,  June  1905,  where  in  the  tall  grasses  of  the 
club  grounds  it  still  succeeds  in  raising  a  brood.  There  are 
probably  a  few  more  localities  in  the  marshes  of  the  Mississippi 
flood  plain  and  on  the  broad  meadows  of  northern  Missouri 
where  they  can  nest  unmolested,  but  such  chances  become  fewer 
eveiy  year.  As  a  transient  visitant  the  Marsh  Hawk  plays  a 
prominent  part  still,  not  so  much  in  spring  from  the  middle  of 
March  to  the  middle  of  April,  as  throughout  fall  and  early  winter 
or  until  deep  snow  and  severe  cold  drives  it  farther  south.  The 
only  time  for  which  we  have  no  records  is  from  the  middle  of 
January  to  the  first  of  March,  the  period  of  lowest  temperature 
and  deepest  snow,  often  enforced  by  sleet  and  freezing  rain. 
This  species  is  one  of  the  so-called  Chicken  Hawks  of  our  hunters, 
who  see  in  every  large  hawk  a  competitor  and  therefore  an  enemy. 
It  is  accused  of  killing  quails,  young  rabbits  and  other  game, 
though  a  careful  study  of  its  feeding  habits  by  the  Department 
of  Agriculture  has  shown  that  it  is  extremely  useful,  because 
feeding  principally  upon  meadow  mice  and  other  injurious 
rodents.  While  this  may  be  of  no  concern  to  the  hunter,  it 
should  be  the  aim  of  the  farmer  to  give,  at  least  on  his  own 
grounds,  the  fullest  protection  to  a  benefactor  that  removes  the 
pest  which  eats  his  grain  and  girdles  his  fruit  trees.  Unlike 
other  hawks  with  which  they  are  commonly  confounded,  par- 
ticularly the  Cooper's  Hawk,  the  real  robber  of  young  chickens, 
the  Marsh  Hawks  are  so  little  shy  that,  while  hunting  low  over 
the  ground,  they  often  pass  within  easy  range  of  the  gunner, 
who  seldom  fails  to  kill  the  poor  bird.  In  spring  and  fall  they 
serve  as  scavengers  preying  upon  crippled  and  dead  birds, 
which  frequently  lie  far  from  the  spot  where  they  received  the 
shot,  and  are  lost  to  the  gunner. 

*332.  ACCIPITER  VELOX  (Wils.).    Sharp-shinned  Hawk. 

Falco  velox.     Falco  fuscus.     Accipiter  fuscus.     Nisus  fuscus.     Astur  velox. 
Accipiter,    Astur  and  Nisus  pensylvanicus.    Accipiter  fringilloides. 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeds  throughout  the  United  •  States  and  the 
wooded  parts  of  the  British  Dominion  and  Alaska.  Winters 
from  latitude  40°  southward  to  Central  America. 

The  Sharp-shinned  Hawk,  for  which  a  better  name  would  be 
Sparrow  Hawk,  particularly  so  because  it  exactly  represents 


92  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

the  European  bird  of  that  name,  is  well  known  all  over  Missouri, 
but  is  nowhere  common  at  any  time.  It  is  seen  oftenest  in  spring 
and  fall  from  March  10  to  the  first  week  in  May  and  from  early 
in  September  to  about  the  twentieth  of  November.  Records  for 
December,  January  and  February  are  few,  but  it  is  reported  as 
a  rare  winter  visitant  not  only  from  the  southern  part  of  the 
state,  but  even  from  the  northwestern  corner  by  Mr.  E.  S. 
Currier,  January  4,  1903,  and  February  9,  1897,  and  from  the 
western  border  December  30,  1902,  by  Mr.  J.  A.  Bryant  of 
Kansas  City.  Reports  of  its  breeding  in  Missouri  are  also  rare; 
they  come  from  Montgomery  City  (Parker),  Independence 
(Tindall),  and  St.  Louis  County,  where  Mr.  Philo  W.  Smith,  Jr., 
took  a  set  of  eggs  in  1904  and  saw  the  birds  again  in  the  summer 
of  1905.  Unlike  most  other  hawks  this  species  does  not  seem 
to  have  suffered  great  losses  in  numbers.  It  has  probably 
never  been  much  more  numerous  than  it  is  how,  for  the  reason 
that  it  is  not  such  an  easy  mark  as  the  so-called  chicken  or  hen- 
hawks  of  our  farmers  and  hunters.  It  does  not  sit  around  on 
fence  posts  and  quietly  await  the  approach  of  the  cruel  gunner; 
it  is  always  on  the  alert  and  so  quick  in  its  movements  that  it 
is  generally  out  of  range  before  the  beholder  has  recovered  from 
his  astonishment.  It  is  sometimes  seen  circling  high  in  the  air, 
but  its  home  is  in  the  woods  and  its  hunting  is  done  low  over 
the  ground,  often  at  the  edge  of  the  forest,  along  fences  and 
hedges  or  the  varied  plant  growth  fringing  our  creeks  and  wet- 
weather  branches.  Its  strategy  is  surprise;  it  snatches  the 
frightened  bird  before  it  can  reach  the  protecting  thicket. 
Living  almost  entirely  on  small  birds  and  young  poultry  it  is 
decidedly  harmful,  but  its  recently  acquired  taste  for  the  plump 
and  saucy  English  sparrow  has  been  regarded  as  a  redeeming 
feature.  An  additional  record  of  its  breeding  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  state  is  furnished  by  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff,  who  took 
on  May  2,  1907,  in  Shannon  Co.,  a  female  containing  three 
nearly  developed  eggs,  proving  they  breed  there. 

*333.  ACCIPITER  COOPERII  (Bonap.).    Cooper's  Hawk. 

Falco    cooperii.      Astur   cooperii.      Falco   Stanley i.      Accipiter   mexicanus. 
Blue  Hawk  (adult). 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeds  from  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  southern  Brit- 
ish provinces,  Saskatchewan,  Alberta  and  British  Columbia. 
Winters  from  about  lat.  39°  southward  to  southern  Mexico. 

In  Missouri  the  Cooper's  Hawk  may  still  be  called  a  fairly 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  93 

common  summer  resident  in  all  parts  of  the  state  where  culti- 
vated fields  alternate  with  remnants  of  high  timber  in  which 
it  can  make  its  home.  There  are  no  records  of  its  occurrence 
for  the  period  from  January  20  to  February  19,  and  it  is  therefore 
not  safe  to  class  it  among  the  permanent  residents,  especially 
since  its  presence  during  the  whole  time  from  October  30  to 
March  28  is  exceptional  rather  than  the  rule.  Transient  visitants 
are  most  numerous  from  early  in  April  to  the  first  week  of  May, 
and  in  fall  from  the  middle  of  September  to  late  in  October. 
Wholesale  migration  has  been  noticed  from  about  the  twentieth 
to  the  twenty-sixth  of  September,  when  singly  or  in  pairs  they 
have  followed  each  other  at  intervals  of  a  few  minutes,  from  ten 
to  twenty  being  visible  to  the  spectator,  but,  as  they  are  known 
to  advance  in  a  broad  front,  the  whole  movement  must  mean 
the  depopulation  of  a  la^ge  district.  This  is  the  true  chicken- 
hawk  for  the  depredations  of  which  so  many  harmless  species 
have  to  suffer,  and  it  is  the  only  hawk  that  does  enough  damage 
to  warrant  indiscriminate  destruction  with  a  view  to  total 
extermination.  Fortunately  for  this  bold  and  clever  marauder 
this  extremity  is  not  to  be  expected  for  a  long  time  to  come, 
as  he  knows  how  to  take  care  of  himself  and  his  family.  He  selects 
his  hunting  grounds  miles  away  from  his  aerie,  high  up  and  far 
out  on  the  branch  of  an  old  tree  in  a  quiet  part  of  the  woods. 
Poultry  raisers  should  know  the  different  species  of  hawks; 
they  should  know  well  the  one  that  does  most  of  the  harm  of 
which  so  much  capital  is  made  in  order  to  justify  the  murder 
of  each  and  every  hawk.  But  as  this  is  hardly  possible,  the 
best  plan  would  be  to  kill  no  hawk  except  the  one  caught  in  the 
very  act  of  making  inroads  on  one's  property.  Since  the  worst 
damage  is  done  among  young  poultry,  the  owner  should  know 
that  the  same  hawk  will  come  back  for  more  after  he  has  succeeded 
in  carrying  off  one;  he  is  likely  to  be  back  about  the  same  time 
of  day  and  thereby  offers  an  opportunity  to  watch  for  him  with 
gun  in  hand.  Even  if  missed  once  or  twice — and  this  may 
happen  to  a  good  marksman — it  will  secure  safety  for  one's 
pets,  as  the  cautious  hawk  will  probably  not  return  any  more. 

334.  ACCIPITER  ATRICAPILLUS  (Wils.).    American  Goshawk. 

Falco  atricapttlus.     Astur  atricapillus.     Falco  palumbarius.    Astur  palum- 
barius. 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeds  in  northern  North  America  in  the  wooded 
districts  north  of  the  range  of  the  Cooper's  Hawk,  south  in  the 


94  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Rocky  Mountains  to  New  Mexico,  and  in  the  West  to  Eastern 
Washington  and  Oregon,  being  replaced  westward  by  the  sub- 
species striatulus.  Winters  in  the  United  States,  chiefly  south- 
ward, but  is  nowhere  common. 

Missouri  collectors  know  that  it  is  not  easy  to  get  a  Goshawk 
for  their  collections,  and  taxidermists  say  that  years  pass  before 
they  get  to  see  one.  An  exception  was  made  this  fall  (1906) 
when  Mr.  F.  Schwarz,  our  leading  St.  Louis  taxidermist,  received 
five  fine  adult  birds  (males  and  females)  within  one  month  from 
the  middle  of  November  to  the  middle  of  December.  From 
observations  of  a  long  series  of  years  we  cannot  but  class  the 
Goshawk  among  the  irregular  and  rather  rare  transient  visitants 
with  a  majority  of  dates  from  March  20  to  April  10  and  between 
November  13  and  December  20.  As  we  find  no  record  for  Janu- 
ary and  only  one  for  February  we  can  hardly  call  it  a  winter 
resident,  though  future  observations  may  supply  the  missing 
dates.  An  exceptionally  early  fall  date  is  October  8,  1893, 
obtained  from  Mr.  Currier  of  Keokuk  in  the  northeast  corner 
of  the  state,  and  an  equally  extraordinary  late  spring  date, 
May  6,  1843,  one  of  Audubon's  notes  made  near  the  northwest 
corner  on  his  journey  up  the  Missouri  River  to  the  Yellowstone 
River. 

*337.  BUTEO  BOREALIS  (Gmel.).     Red-tailed  Hawk. 

Falco  borealis.     Falco  leverianus.     Buteo  aquilinus.     Red-tailed  Buzzard. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America;  north  to  New  Found- 
land,  the  British  Provinces,  Hudson  Bay,  Saskatchewan  and 
Alberta;  west  to  eastern  Nebraska  and  Colorado;  south  to 
eastern  Mexico.  Breeds  nearly  throughout  its  range  and  winters 
mostly  in  the  Southern  States,  though  some  remain  even  in  the 
Northern  States  and  all  return  very  early  to  their  breeding 
ground. 

Within  the  last  years  the  Red-tailed  Hawk  has  decreased  so 
much  in  Missouri  at  all  seasons  that  not  more  than  one  is  left 
where  ten  were  seen  twenty  years  ago.  Every  hunter  and 
many  farmers  deem  it  their  duty  to  kill  every  one  of  these  singu- 
larly defamed  and  misjudged  benefactors,  universally,  but  in- 
appropriately, named  Hen  or  Chicken  Hawks.  It  cannot  be 
disputed  that  some  individuals,  when  pressed  by  hunger  or  by 
the  clamor  of  a  nestful  of  hungry  mouths,  take  recourse  to  the 
chicken,  yard  and  relieve  a  sickly  old  hen  of  all  her  troubles,  or 
teach  a  careless  mother  to  take  better  care  of  her  youngsters, 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  95 

but  their  usual  business  is  to  remove  as  many  mice  and  other 
noxious  rodents  from  the  farmer's  field  as  their  time  and  capacity 
will  allow.  As  a  summer  resident  it  used  to  be  well  known  in 
all  parts  of  the  state;  the  timber  along  the  streams  of  our 
northern  and  western  prairie  region  suited  it  as  well  as  the 
wooded  hill-sides  in  the  Ozarks ;  even  the  watery  southeast  was 
not  entirely  deserted,  though  it  prefers  partly  open  country  to 
densely  wooded  regions.  The  wooded  bluffs  which  border  our 
river  valleys  and  mountain  streams  are  at  present  the  best  loca- 
tions for  the  stately  Red-tail  to  rear  a  brood,  but  it  must  be  very 
careful  not  to  betray  its  aerie,  for  it  is  an  outlaw  in  this  state, 
whose  latest  game  and  bird  protection  law  strangely  exempts 
from  protection  all  large  hawks  under  that  ambiguous  term, 
"chickenhawk."  The  number  of  transient  visitants  is  still  re- 
spectable, but  small  compared  with  what  it  used  to  be,  when 
dozens  could  be  seen  in  suitable  localities,  where  mice  abounded, 
on  a  drive  of  a  few  miles  through  farming  country,  especially  in 
fall.  They  are  most  common  from  the  middle  of  September  to 
the  end  of  November,  but,  though  some  are  with  us  in  all  kinds 
of  winter  weather,  the  bulk  is  gone  during  the  two  or  three  months 
of  real  winter.  Our  summer  residents  are  on  their  breeding 
grounds  in  February,  but  the  majority  of  transients  pass  through 
our  state  in  March.  They  do  not  stop  with  us  as  long  as  in  fall, 
neither  are  they  seen  in  troops  as  they  sometimes  are  on  bright 
October  days  majestically  soaring  high  in  the  air  sailing  south- 
ward. There  is  a  perfectly  white  albino  of  this  species  in  the 
bird  collection  of  the  Kansas  City  Public  Museum,  but  the  place 
and  time  of  capture  are  not  given. 

337a.  BUTEO  BOREALIS  KRIDERII  Hoopes.      Krider's  Hawk. 

White-bellied  Red-tail. 

Geog.  Dist. — Great  Plains  from  Texas  to  Dakotas  and  Minne- 
sota; west  to  Wyoming  and  Colorado ;  east  to  Wisconsin,  north- 
ern Illinois  and  Iowa  in  migration. 

Typical  examples  of  this  subspecies  seem  to  be  very  rare  every- 
where, but  birds  closely  approaching  this  peculiar  light  phase 
are  apparently  not  very  rare  in  Missouri,  even  as  far  east  as  the 
Mississippi  River.  Mr.  Praeger  killed  a  fine  male  near  Keokuk, 
December  22,  1889,  and  Mr.  Currier  of  the  same  place  gives 
March  17,  1895,  and  March  23,  1897,  as  dates  of  occurrence. 
Mr.  Charles  K.  Worthen  of  Warsaw,  111.,  took  a  specimen  on  the 


96  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

prairie  east  of  that  town,  where  it  is  occasionally  seen  in  winter. 
A  bird  answering  the  description  was  observed  for  several  days 
(November  21-23,  1905)  on  the  grounds  of  the  Horse  Shoe  Lake 
club  in  St.  Charles  Co.,  and  one  taken  in  spring  near  Billings, 
Christian  Co.,  is  in  Mr.  Kastendieck's  collection.  Considering 
that  the  Krider's  Hawk  is  only  a  subspecies  of  the  Plains,  a 
geographical  race  known  to  iritergrade  with  the  typical  eastern 
form,  it  seems  plausible  that  Missouri  lies  in  the  belt  of  inter- 
gradation  inhabited  or  visited  by  the  intermediates. 

337b.  BUTEO  BOREALIS  CALURUS  (Cass.).    Western  Red-tail. 

Buteo  calurus.     Buteo  montanus.     Black  Red-tail. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  North  America  from  Mexico  to  Sitka; 
east  to  eastern  British  Columbia,  central  Montana,  Wyoming  and 
Colorado;  in  migration  to  Ontario,  Wisconsin,  northern  Illinois, 
Nebraska,  Kansas  and  Missouri. 

This  more  or  less  darker-colored  western  race,  the  light  ex- 
treme of  which  is  said  to  be  scarcely  distinguishable  from  true 
borealis,  is  probably  not  a  very  rare  transient  and  winter  visi- 
tant in  Missouri,  especially  in  the  west.  Two  specimens  taken 
within  one  week  in  the  fall  of  1888  near  Billings,  by  Mr.  J.  D. 
Kastendieck,  show  distinctly  the  rufous  bars  on  the  tibiae,  one 
of  the  characteristics  of  the  subspecies,  said  by  some  authors  to 
constitute  even  in  the  young  a  persistent  feature,  in  which  it 
differs  from  the  almost  or  quite  immaculate  white  of  the  young 
eastern  Red-tail.  Mr.  Chas.  K.  Worthen  writes  that  he  has 
taken  this  subspecies  repeatedly  near  Warsaw  during  the  breed- 
ing season. 

337d.  BUTEO  BOREALIS  HARLANI  (Aud.).    Harlan's  Hawk. 

Falco  harlani.     Black  Warrior. 

Geog.  Dist. — Gulf  States  and  lower  Mississippi  Valley;  north 
to  Illinois,  Missouri,  Kansas,  casually  to  eastern  Nebraska,  Indi- 
ana, Minnesota  and  Pennsylvania. 

Probably  a  regular  summer  resident  in  southeastern  Missouri, 
as  it  has  been  observed  repeatedly  in  May  in  different  years  in 
Dunklin  and  Pemiscot  counties.  A  specimen  in  the  collection 
of  Mr.  John  D.  Kastendieck  was  shot  four  miles  south  of  Bil- 
lirigs,  Christian  Co.,  about  the  middle  of  November,  1905.  A 
fine  adult  male  was  taken  on  the  Mississippi  near  Warsaw,  111., 
opposite  the  northeastern  corner  of  Missouri,  in  March,  1879, 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  97 

by  Mr:  Chas.  K.  Worthen.     Two  were  seen  at  that  time  flying 
up  the  river. 

*339.  BUTEO  LINEATUS  (Gmel.)-     Red-shouldered  Hawk. 

Falco  linzatus.     Falco  hyemalis.     Buteo  hyemalis.     Circus  hyemalis.     Astur 
hyemalis.     Falco  buteoides.     Red-shouldered  Buzzard. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  southern  prov- 
inces of  Canada,  west  to  the  Plains;  south  to  Mexico.  Breeds 
throughout  its  range.  Winters  sometimes  in  Ontario  and  the 
Northern  States,  but  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  chiefly  south  of 
latitude  39°,  returning  very  early  to  its  breeding  places  in  the 
North. 

As  a  summer  resident  the  Red-shoulder  far  outnumbers  its 
cousin,  the  Red-tail,  with  which  it  shares  the  honor  of  being 
called  Hen  or  Chicken  Hawk,  in  all  wooded  parts  of  Missouri. 
It  is  particularly  common  on  the  flood  plains  of  the  large  rivers 
and  in  the  swampy  southeast,  where  in  spring  and  summer  its 
call  is  one  of  the  most  common  sounds.  As  a  denizen  of  the 
lowland  it  follows  the  river  valleys,  both  north  and  south,  in 
the  prairie  as  well  as  throughout  the  Ozark  region,  but  thanks 
to  the  relentless  persecution  and  lack  of  nesting  sites  as  a  conse- 
quence of  the  removal  of  all  trees,  even  those  fringing  the  water- 
courses, some  parts  of  the  state  are  already  without  this  great 
benefactor  of  the  agriculturist.  It  has  been  found  that  65%  of 
its  food  consists  of  mice  and  other  injurious  rodents;  less  than 
2%  of  poultry,  and  the  rest  of  frogs,  crawfish,  snakes  and  in- 
sects. Though  some  may  be  found  in  every  month  of  the  year, 
the  majority  leave  the  state  in  November  and  December  and  do 
not  return  until  late  in  February  and  early  March,  to  the  more 
northern  part  usually  not  before  the  middle  of  that  month. 
North-bound  transients  do  not  tarry  with  us  as  long  as  the 
south-bound  in  the  fall  from  September  to  November,  mostly 
inexperienced  birds  of  the  year,  many  of  which  fall  to  the  ever- 
ready  gun  of  the  duck  and  snipe  hunter. 

342.  BUTEO  SWAINSONI  Bonap.    Swainson's  Hawk. 

Falco  buteo.     Buteo  wdgaris.     Buteo  montanus  Nuttall.     Buteobairdii  (juv). 

Geog.  Dist. — From  Argentina  to  arctic  regions;  in  North 
America  from  the  Pacific  coast  east  to  Manitoba,  western  Minne- 
sota, Nebraska  and  middle  Kansas;  in  migration  eastward  to 
Ontario,  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Illinois,  Missouri  and  Arkansas. 


98  Trans.  A  cad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Accidentally  to  New  England.    Winters  from  Texas  southward 
and  migrates  sometimes  in  large  flocks. 

The  Swainson's  Hawk  was  reported  by  Mr.  H.  Nehrling  as  a 
rare  breeder  in  the  region  of  Pierce  City,  Lawrence  Co.,  in  the 
early  eighties.  The  writer  saw  it  in  Platte  Co.,  opposite  Leaven- 
worth,  June  28,  1906,  a  time  of  the  year  when  a  well-bred  Swain- 
son's  Hawk  should  be  on  its  breeding  grounds.  In  Osprey, 
Vol.  5,  p.  109,  we  read:  "On  April  23,  1901,  a  pair  was  found 
building  a  nest  in  an  elm  that  grew  on  the  west  bank  of  Sugar 
Creek,  Linn  Co.,  Kansas."  This  is  only  28  miles  from  our  state 
line.  In  has  repeatedly  been  found  nesting  in  central  Iowa, 
and  once  in  southeastern  Illinois  (Richland  Co.,  1875)  by  Mr. 
E.  W.  Nelson.  In  his  migration  reports  to  the  Department  of 
Agriculture,  Mr.  W.  G.  Savage  reports  this  species  from  Jasper 
Co.,  October  12  and  16,  1902,  and  from  Shannon  Co.,  September 
15  to  24,  1903.  Mr.  Chas.  K.  Worthen  has  taken  it  at  Warsaw, 
111.,  and  further  observations  will  probably  show  that  it  is  a  not 
uncommon  transient  visitant,  especially  westward,  and  a  pos- 
sible breeder  in  the  northwestern  counties. 

*343.  BUTEO  PLATYPTERUS  (Vieill.).     Broad-winged  Hawk. 

Buteo  pennsylvanicus.     Buteo  latissimus.     Astur  pennsylvanicus. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  northern  South  America,  Mexico  and  West 
Indies  through  Eastern  L^nited  States  to  New  Brunswick,  On- 
tario and  eastern  Manitoba.  Wrest  to  Minnesota,  eastern  Ne- 
braska, Kansas  and  Texas.  Breeds  throughout  its  North  Ameri- 
can range  and  winters  from  the  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States 
southward. 

The  Broad-wing  is  a  fairly  common  summer  resident  in  Mis- 
souri, mainly  eastward,  less  commonly  westward.  It  prefers 
undulating  ground  where  wooded  tracts,  even  of  medium-sized 
trees,  adjoin  creek  bottoms,  wet  meadows  and  cultivated  fields. 
Such  localities  still  exist  in  spite  of  the  universal  devastation  of 
timber,  in  most  parts  of  the  state.  It  seems  to  shun  the  swampy 
southeast  and  the  bottoms  of  the  large  rivers  as  well  as  the 
dry  ridges  of  the  Ozarks  and  the  drier  stretches  of  the  prairie 
region.  None  winter  with  us ;  migration  from  the  north  is  brisk 
during  the  fourth  week  of  September,  when  on  some  days  dozens 
may  be  seen  sailing  over  in  loose  flocks.  It  does  not  stop  over 
as  long  as  the  Red-tail  and  Red-shoulder,  but  small  parties  may 
be  met  with  during  the  first  half  of  October,  after  which  the 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  99 

species  becomes  rare, ,  though  the  last  may  be  noted  a  month 
later  (November  11,  1897,  Keokuk,  Currier).  Its  return  in 
spring  is  rather  irregular;  it  is  seldom  seen  in  March,  oftener  in 
early  April,  but  summer  residents  cannot  be  expected  back  in 
their  breeding  haunts  with  certainty  before  the  latter  part  of 
the  month. 

347a.  ARCHIBUTEO  LAGOPUS  SANCTI-JOHANNIS  (Gmel.).     Ameri- 
can Rough-legged  Hawk. 

Falco  sancti-johannis.     Falco  lagopus.     Buteo  lagopus.     Archibuteo  lagopus. 
Falco  niger.     Buteo  niger.     Black  Hawk.     Rough-legged  Buzzard. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  north  to  Newfoundland, 
Ungava  and  through  the  Barren  Grounds  to  Alaska;  rare  from 
foot  of  Rocky  Mountains  westward.  Breeds  in  Newfoundland, 
Ungava  and  from  northern  Assiniboia  and  Alberta  northward, 
exceptionally  south  to  northern  border  of  United  States.  Win- 
ters from  northern  United  States  southward,  but  chiefly  in  the 
Middle  and  Southern  States,  being  influenced  largely  by  the 
amount  of  snow  which  covers  the  ground,  depriving  it  of  its 
favorite  food — the  meadow  mice — for  which  it  often  hunts  in 
the  twilight.  Like  most  of  our  winter  visitants  the  Rough-leg 
is  of  irregular  occurrence  in  Missouri,  both  in  numbers  and  time 
of  arrival  and  departure.  It  is  never  seen  before  the  first  of 
November  and  hardly  ever  after  the  first  of  April  (April  6,  1902, 
Keokuk,  Currier).  The  bulk  comes  about  the  latter  part  of 
November  and  has  left  us  by  the  middle  of  March.  In  open, 
moderately  cold  winters  the  fields,  pastures,  meadows  and 
marshes  of  northern  Missouri  are  well  supplied  with  this  inde- 
fatigable mouser,  which,  somewhat  resembling  a  Marsh  Hawk, 
flies  low  over  the  ground,  every  once  in  a  while  hovering  for  a 
few  seconds  to  subject  the  ground  to  a  closer  examination,  or 
pouncing  on  its  unlucky  quarry. 

[348.  ARCHIBUTEO  FERRUGINEUS  (Licht.).     Ferruginous  Rough- 
leg]. 

Falco  ferrugineus.     California  Squirrel  Hawk. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  North  America,  east  to  eastern  Da- 
kotas,  eastern  Nebraska,  middle  of  Kansas  and  Texas.  North 
to  northern  Assiniboia;  south  into  Mexico.  Breeds  from  Utah, 
Colorado  and  Kansas  northward;  in  California  in  the  interior 
valleys  to  San  Diego  Co. 


100  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

It  has  been  taken  in  Illinois,  Iowa  and  Wisconsin,  and  is  said 
to  occur  throughout  Nebraska  and  Kansas,  being  even  a  com- 
mon breeder  in  the  western  parts  of  these  states.  It  should  be 
looked  for  in  our  western  and  northern  prairie  region,  where  it 
will  undoubtedly  occur  as  an  occasional  transient  visitant.  It 
is  said  to  be  easily  recognized  by  its  large  size,  pale  ashy-colored 
tail,  and  generally  light-colored  under  parts,  strongly  contrast- 
ing with  its  rufous  legs  (Bendire). 

349.  AQUILA  CHRYSAETOS  (Linn.).    Golden  Eagle. 

Falco  chrysa'etos.  Aquila  canadensis.  Aquila  fulva  Nuttall.  Ring-tailed 
Eagle. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  Hemisphere;  in  America  from  Central 
Mexico  to  the  Arctic  coast  and  Aleutian  Islands ;  chiefly  western. 
Breeds  in  mountainous  regions.  In  winter  irregularly  over  most 
of  United  States. 

In  Missouri  now  a  rather  rare  winter  visitant  between  October 
1  and  April  1.  Formerly  much  more  common,  as  attested  by 
the  large  number  of  mounted  specimens  in  private  collections 
or  used  for  ornamental  purposes  in  public  places. 

*352.  HALIAEETUS  LEUCOCEPHALUS  (Linn.).    Bald  Eagle. 

Falco  leucocephalus.  Falco  ossifragus.  Falco  Washington™.  Aquila  leu- 
cocephala.  Haliaetus  Washingtoni.  Bird  of  Washington.  White-head- 
ed Eagle.  Black  Eagle.  Gray  Eagle.  American  Eagle.  (National  Em- 
blem). 

Geog.  Dist. — Together  with  the  lately  separated  subspecies, 
alascanus,  Northern  Bald  Eagle,  the  whole  of  North  America, 
from  Mexico  to  the  arctic  coast  and  from  Newfoundland  to 
Kamchatka,  the  new  subspecies  inhabiting  the  region  north  of 
the  United  States  in  summer,  but  going  southward  in  winter. 
Since  the  southern  form,  which  formerly  nested  throughout  its 
range  from  Florida  to  California  and  from  Texas  to  Minnesota 
and  Maine,  is  now  driven  out  of  most  of  its  former  breeding 
grounds  in  the  upper  Mississippi  and  Missouri  Valleys,  the  Bald 
Eagles  which  still  visit  us  in  small  numbers  in  fall,  winter  and 
spring,  are  probably  mostly  of  the  Northern  subspecies. 

That  the  Bald  Eagle  was  formerly  a  well-known  breeder  along 
all  our  larger  rivers  there  is  ample  proof.  On  April  25,  1833, 
when  near  the  mouth  of  Nodaway  River  on  his  way  up  the  Mis- 
souri, Prince  Max  of  Wied  wrote  in  his  Journal:  "  White-headed 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  101 

Eagles  nest  frequently  on  high  trees  along  the  shore."  Audubon 
mentions  Bald  Eagles  repeatedly  on  his  journey  through  the 
state.  When  near  the  mouth  of  the  Gasconade  River  on  April 
27,  1843,  he  speaks  of  curious  holes  in  the  cliffs,  where  the  Bald 
Eagles  and  Turkey  Buzzards  entered  toward  dusk.  When  be- 
tween Fort  Leavenworth  and  St.  Joseph  on  May  6,  1843,  he  dis- 
covered two  nests  of  White-headed  Eagles.  And  again  the  fol- 
lowing day,  north  of  St.  Joseph,  he  saw  White-headed  Eagles 
on  nests.  Dr.  Hoy  names  Haliaetus  leucocephalus  in  his  list  of 
birds,  made  in  western  Missouri  between  April  16  and  June  15, 
1854.  The  swampy  region  of  southeastern  Missouri  is  the  place 
where  Baldy  held  out  longest  as  a  resident,  but  as  long  ago  as 
the  early  nineties  chances  to  rear  a  brood  of  young  Eagles  grew 
very  slim,  when  some  of  the  native  market  hunters  turned  into 
plume  hunters.  There  may  still  be  a  few  pairs  breeding  in  the 
cypress  swamps,  but  as  a  breeder  the  species  must  be  considered 
nearly  extinct  in  Missouri.  Our  new  game  law  means  to  protect 
eagles  in  as  much  as  it  does  not  mention  them  among  the  birds 
exempt  from  protection,  but  unfortunately  the  public  does  not 
understand  it,  and  the  game  wardens  do  not  care,  or  else  the 
daily  press  would  not  continue  to  make  heroes  and  benefactors 
of  the  fellows  who  wantonly  slaughter  such  a  harmless  creature 
and  one  of  the  grandest  ornaments  of  any  landscape  wherever 
it  appears.  Since  the  above  was  written  my  son  Berthold,  dis- 
covered the  existence  of  at  least  one  pair  breeding  in  the  state. 
On  May  23,  1907,  he  found  chained  to  the  porch  of  a  hotel  at 
New  Madrid  a  fully-grown  young  lately  captured  from  an  old 
eagle's  nest  in  a  bayou  near  New  Madrid.  Two  young  ones 
were  reared,  but  one  could  fly  and  got  away.  At  the  same  place 
he  met  an  old  trapper,  who  boasted  of  having  killed  within  37 
years  487  Eagles,  catching  them  in  traps  baited  with  fish. 

*355.  FALCO  MEXICANUS  Schleg.    Prairie  Falcon. 

Falco  polyagrus.     Falco  lanarius  var.  polyagrus.     Falco  lanarius  mexicanus . 
Lanner. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  North  America  from  Mexico  to  Assini- 
boia  and  British  Columbia;  east  to  the  Dakotas,  Nebraska  and 
western  Missouri;  west  to  California.  Breeds  throughout  its 
range,  and  retires  from  the  northern  and  middle  states  in  winter. 
Casually  to  Illinois  (Rock  Island,  Mount  Carmel,  Bridgeport  and 
Paris)  in  migration  (September  and  March  19). 


102  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Has  been  found  breeding  in  Nodaway  Co.,  where  April  28, 
1880,  two  eggs  were  collected  near  Maryville,  now  in  the  collec- 
tion of  Captain  B.  F.  Goss  in  Milwaukee.  Mr.  John  A.  Bryant 
of  Kansas  City  writes  that  he  took  a  Prairie  Falcon  near  that 
city  in  1887. 

*356.  FALCO  PEREGRINUS  ANATUM  (Bonap.).     Duck  Hawk. 

Falco  anatum.     Falco   communis   var.  anatum.     Falco  peregrinus.     Pere- 
grine Falcon. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  Chile  to  the  arctic  circle  and  from  Green- 
land to  the  Mackenzie,  being  replaced  on  the  North  Pacific  coast 
from  Oregon  to  the  Aleutian  Islands  by  the  subspecies  pealei. 
Breeds  locally  throughout  its  North  American  range,  except  on 
the  southern  and  western  Plains.  Winters  in  the  southern  Unit- 
ed States  and  southward,  but  returns  with  the  teals  and  black- 
birds. 

That  the  cliffs  along  our  great  rivers  were  formerly  the  homes 
of  many  of  these  noble  falcons  is  evident  from  the  notes  of  early 
travelers.  Prince  of  Wied  mentions  the  nesting  of  Peregrine 
Falcons  in  the  rocky  cliffs  near  Rockport,  April  14,  1833.  Au- 
dubon,  when  near  the  mouth  of  the  Gasconade  River,  April  27, 
1843,  wrote  in  his  dairy:  " Harris  saw  a  Duck  Hawk  about  the 
cliffs."  Again  when  between  Leavenworth  and  St.  Joseph  on 
May  4,  1843,  he  names  the  Falco  peregrinus  among  the  many 
birds  seen  on  that  day.  Dr.  Hoy,  on  the  day  following  his  de- 
parture from  St.  Louis,  steaming  up  the  Missouri,  makes  this 
entry  in  his  diary,  April  14,  1854:  "Saw  a  Duck  Hawk  fly  to 
her  aerie  in  the  face  of  an  inaccessible  cliff  with  a  duck  in  her 
claws  to  feed  her  young."  During  the  eighties  and  early  nineties 
a  few  pairs  still  nested  along  the  Mississippi  River  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  Grand  Tower,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Meramec,  near 
Grimsley  station  below  Cliff  Cave,  between  Alton  and  Grafton, 
also  on  some  of  their  old  stands  on  the  lower  Missouri,  but  have 
since  deserted  their  haunts  and  are  not  likely  to  take  them  up 
again.  In  the  collection  of  Mr.  Charles  L.  Eimbeck  at  New 
Haven  is  a  most  beautiful  pair  of  Duck  Hawks  taken  near  Bluff- 
ton,  where  they  had  a  nest  in  the  cliffs.  There  may  still  be  a 
few  pairs  nesting  in  out  of  the  way  places  in  the  Ozarks,  but 
their  doom  as  breeders  in  Missouri  has  been  sealed,  and  even  as 
transient  visitants  they  are  decided  rarities,  while  formerly  they 
used  to  be  pretty  regular  sights  about  the  blackbirds'  roosts 
and  duck  and  snipe  grounds  in  March  and  October. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  103 

357.  FALCO  COLUMBARIUS  Linn.     Pigeon  Hawk. 

Falco  (Aesalon}  lithofalco  var.  columbarius.     Falco  temerarius.     American 
Merlin.     "The  little  corporal." 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeding,  except  in  mountainous  regions,  north 
of  lat.  43°;  in  Canada  throughout  wooded  parts  from  New- 
foundland to  Alaska.  In  winter  from  southern  United  States 
to  West  Indies  and  northern  South  America. 

In  Missouri  a  rather  rare,  some  seasons  a  fairly  common, 
transient  visitant  in  March  and  April,  and  in  October;  only  a 
few  winter  records  (January  and  February).  Latest  spring  date, 
May  6,  1843,  when  Audubon  saw  a  Pigeon  Hawk  north  of  St. 
Joseph. 

358.  FALCO  RICHARDSONII  Ridgw.     Richardson's  Merlin. 
Geog.  Dist. — Interior  and  western  Plains  of  North  America 

from  Mississippi  River  to  the  Pacific  coast  and  from  Mexico  to 
Saskatchewan  and  Alberta. 

Is  reported  from  eastern  Kansas  and  southeastern  Nebraska, 
and  should  be  looked  for  in  migration  or  in  winter  in  western 
Missouri.  Mr.  J.  D.  Kastendieck  found  a  dead  one  hanging  on 
a  fence  in  Stone  Co.,  about  nine  miles  south  of  Billings.  Mr. 
Chas.  K.  Worthen  took  one  at  Warsaw,  111.,  and  the  species  has 
repeatedly  been  taken  in  late  autumn  as  far  east  as  southern 
Wisconsin.  It  is  probably  not  so  very  rare,  but  easily  mistaken 
for  a  Pigeon  Hawk,  from  which  it  may  be  distinguished  by 
lighter  colors,  slightly  larger  size,  and  by  five  dark  and  six  gray- 
ish-white bands  in  the  middle  tail  feathers,  while  the  Pigeon 
Hawk  has  only  four  dark  and  five  lighter  bands. 

*360.  FALCO  SPARVERIUS  Linn.    American  Sparrow  Hawk. 

Tinnunculus  sparverius.     American  Kestrel. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  northern  South  America  through  eastern 
North  America  to  Great  Slave  Lake;  west  to  Colorado,  eastern 
Wyoming  and  eastern  British  Columbia,  being  replaced  in  the 
West  by  the  subspecies  phalaena.  Breeds  from  Florida  to 
Newfoundland,  and  from  Louisiana  northward  throughout  its 
range.  Winters  from  about  lat.  40°  southward,  but  chiefly 
south  of  the  Ohio  River. 

This  is  undoubtedly  the  most  numerous  and,  because  living  in 
the  open,  the  most  frequently  seen  of  all  hawks.  It  is  a  common 
summer  resident  on  all  cultivated  lands  of  the  state,  arriving  in 


104  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

March  and  leaving  in  October.  A  few  remain  all  year  from  the 
Missouri  River  southward,  especially  in  open  winters;  others 
remain  late  and  return  early,  soon  after  the  backbone  of  the 
winter  is  broken,  about  the  middle  of  February,  but  the  species 
does  not  become  generally  distributed  before  the  middle  or  end 
of  March.  Transients  are  not  much  in  evidence  in  spring,  but 
large  numbers,  mostly  birds  of  the  year,  are  present  in  August 
and  September,  when,  together  with  Mourning  Doves,  they 
frequent  wheat  stubble  in  search  of  grasshoppers,  while  the  Doves 
pick  up  the  scattered  grain  and  weed  seeds.  Of  late  several 
pairs  winter  in  St.  Louis,  captivated  with  the  beauty  of  our 
English  Sparrows,  an  article  of  diet  to  which  they  have  recourse 
when  nothing  better  can  be  had. 


Subfamily  Pandionimp.     Ospreys. 

*364.  PANDION   HALIAETUS   CAROLINENSIS    (Gmel.).    American 
Osprey. 

Pandion  carolinensis.     Pandion  haliaetus.     Fish-hawk. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  northern  South  America  and  the  West 
Indies  to  the  arctic  circle,  throughout  North  America  from  At- 
lantic to  Pacific,  and  from  Newfoundland  to  Alaska.  Breeds 
throughout  its  North  American  range,  and  winters  from  the 
South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States  southward. 

Like  the  Bald  Eagle,  the  Osprey,  commonly  called  Fish-hawk, 
was  formerly  a  well-known  summer  resident  in  the  same  localities 
and,  like  the  Eagle,  its  present  status  as  a  breeder  in  the  state 
is  one  of  uncertainty  and  doubt.  It  is  only  within  the  last  de- 
cade that  this  condition  has  been  brought  about,  for  ten  years 
ago  the  Fish-hawk  was  not  uncommon  during  the  breeding  sea- 
son in  several  parts  of  the  southeast.  Its  home  was  to  be  found 
not  only  along  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  Rivers,  but  also 
along  such  streams  as  the  Gasconade  and  Osage.  Mr.  B.  T. 
Gault  observed  it  in  May,  1888,  in  the  White  River  bottom 
below  our  southern  state  boundary.  Thirty  years  ago,  before 
Creve  Coeur  Lake  was  connected  by  railroad  with  St.  Louis,  a 
pair  had  its  home  in  the  vicinity  of  that  lake.  On  June  26, 
1906,  the  writer  saw  an  Osprey  in  Atchison  Co.,  the  northwest 
corner  of  Missouri  (from  where  Audubon  reported  its  presence 
on  May  9,  1843),  but  whether  it  should  be  classed  among  the 
summer  residents,  or  only  as  a  summer  visitant,  could  not  be 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  105 

ascertained.  As  a  transient  visitant  it  is  sometimes  seen  in 
April  and  in  fall  from  the  middle  of  September  to  the  first  of 
November,  rarely  later  (November  12,  1894,  Keokuk,  Currier). 
A  perfectly  white  Albino  Osprey  was  killed  on  the  Mississippi 
River  near  Quincy  and  is  in  the  fine  collection  of  Mr.  Slinger- 
land  of  that  city. 

Suborder  Striges.     Owls. 
Family  STRIGIDAE.     Barn  Owls. 
*365.  STRIX  PRATINCOLA  Bonap.    American  Barn  Owl. 

Strix  americana.     Strix  flammea.     Ulula  flammea.     Strix  flammea  ameri- 
cana.     Strix  flammea  pratincola.     Monkey-faced  Owl. 

Geog.  Dist. — Mexico  and  United  States,  north  to  lat.  41°  in 
the  Eastern  States,  to  46°  on  the  Pacific  coast;  rarely  to  New 
England,  Ontario,  Michigan,  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota.  Said 
to  leave  the  Northern  States  in  winter;  non-migratory  south- 
ward. 

In  Missouri  a  rather  rare  resident,  possibly  not  as  rare  as  for- 
merly and  spreading.  At  present  found  only  in  the  northern 
and  western  prairie,  and  in  the  Ozark  border  regions,  but  not 
in  the  Ozarks  and  southeast,  which  are  too  densely  wooded  to 
suit  this  friend  of  the  open  land.  According  to  Mr.  H.  Nehrling, 
the  species  was  a  fairly  common  breeder  in  the  vicinity  of  Pierce 
City,  Lawrence  Co.,  as  long  ago  as  from  1882  to  1887.  Eggs 
have  been  collected  at  Independence  by  Mr.  Sheley  and  at 
Montgomery  City  by  Mr.  Parker.  Its  occurrence  in  Clark  Co. 
is  demonstrated  by  MM.  Praeger  and  Currier,  and  at  Warsaw, 
opposite  Alexandria,  by  Mr.  Worthen.  Several  specimens  have 
been  captured  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis,  some  of  which  found 
their  way  into  collections. 

Family  BUBONIDAE.     Horned  Owls,  etc. 
*366.  Asio  WILSONIANUS  (Less.).    American  Long-eared  Owl. 

Otus  wilsonianus.     Otus  americanus.     Strix  otus.     Ulula  otus.     Otus  vul- 
garis  var.  wilsonianus. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  the  tablelands  of  Mexico  throughout  the 
United  States  and  in  the  British  Possessions  as  far  north  as  the 
forests  extend.  Breeds  throughout  its  range  and  winters  from 
British  Columbia  and  northern  United  States  southward. 


106  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

The  Long-eared  Owl  has  been  found  breeding  in  different  parts 
of  Missouri.  Mr.  Currier  found  it  May  4,  1902,  in  Clark  Co.; 
Mr.  Parker  in  Montgomery  Co. ;  MM.  Sheley,  Bush  and  Tindall 
found  it  in  Jackson  Co.  Mr.  Sheley  has  a  fine  set  of  six  eggs  in 
his  collection  at  Independence.  Mr.  Bush  of  Courtnej^  writes 
that  they  breed  in  the  deepest  recesses  of  the  bottom,  and  nest 
in  willows.  Mr.  Tindall  of  Independence  found  several  pairs 
nesting  in  old  crows'  nests,  and  says  they  begin  setting  from 
about  March  20  to  25.  Specimens  have  been  killed  during  the 
breeding  season  in  St.  Louis  and  St.  Charles  Co.,  but  there  are 
at  present  no  such  records  from  the  whole  region  south  of  St. 
Louis  and  St.  Clair  Co.,  where  Mr.  Prier  of  Appleton  City  found 
them  breeding  in  1906.  Specimens  without  date  are  in  the  col- 
lections of  Dr.  Kizer  at  Springfield  and  Mr.  Kastendieck  at  Bil- 
lings. That  the  species  occurs  in  flocks  in  winter  is  attested  by 
Mr.  Hurter,  who  saw  a  flock  of  30,  January  30,  1873,  in  one  tree 
in  the  Mississippi  bottom  near  St.  Louis ;  also  by  Mr.  Bush,  who 
writes  from  Courtney  that  they  are  abundant  in  river  bottoms, 
with  from  50  to  60  on  one  tree. 

*367.  Asio  ACCIPITRINUS  (Pall.).     Short-eared  Owl. 

Strix   accipitrinus.     Strix   brachyotus.     Ulula     brachyotus.     Otus     brachy- 
otus.     Brachyotus  palustris.     Marsh  Owl.     Prairie  Owl.     Cat  Owl. 

Geog.  Dist. — Cosmopolitan  except  Australia  and  some  islands. 
In  North  America,  throughout  United  States  and  British  Prov- 
inces north  to  the  Arctic  Sea,  and  from  Greenland  to  Point 
Barrow  and  the  Aleutian  Islands.  Breeds  locally  from  Vir- 
ginia, Indiana,  Missouri,  Kansas,  Colorado  and  southern  Oregon 
northward,  and  winters  irregularly  from  northern  United  States 
southward,  chiefly  south  of  lat.  40°. 

There  are  several  records  of  its  breeding  in  Missouri.  A  nest 
containing  downy  young  was  found  in  1897  near  St.  Francis ville, 
Clark  Co.,  and  another  by  Mr.  Philo  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  June  2,  1905, 
near  Maple  Lake  in  St.  Charles  Co.  They  are  also  given  as  breed- 
ers in  Johnson  Co.  by  Mr.  A.  F.  Smithson  of  Warrensburg,  and 
in  St.  Clair  Co.  by  Mr.  C.  W.  Prier  of  Appleton  City.  Numerous 
records  and  specimens  show  that  as  winter  visitants  Short-eared 
Owls  are  well  distributed  over  the  northern  and  western  prairie 
region,  where  they  are  irregularly  common  from  October  10  to 
April  1.  Sometimes  they  invade  the  Ozark  border  region,  as 
specimens  in  the  collections  at  Springfield  (Leblanc  and  Kizer) 
and  at  Billings  (Kastendieck)  prove.  Mr.  Prier  reports  having 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  107 

met  with  a  flock  of  fifty  in  the  fall  of  1905  near  Appleton  City, 
and  smaller  troops  are  not  unusual  on  the  marshes  of  the  Missis- 
sippi flood  plain  north  of  the  Missouri  River. 

*368    SYRNIUM  VARIUM  (Barton).     Barred  Owl. 

Strix  nebulosa.     Syrnium  nebidosum.     Ulula  nebulosa.     Hoot  Owl. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  southern  provinces  of 
Canada  from  Nova  Scotia  to  Winnepeg;  south  to  northern 
Texas,  being  replaced  in  the  Gulf  and  South  Atlantic  States  by 
the  subspecies  alleni.  Breeds  throughout  its  range,  and  is  non- 
migratory  except  in  the  most  northern  part  of  its  range. 

In  Missouri,  in  spite  of  all  persecution,  still  a  fairly  common 
resident  in  all  portions  of  the  state,  mainly  in  the  heavy  timber 
of  the  river  bottoms,  where  there  are  natural  cavities  in  tall  trees, 
particularly  sycamores,  in  which  it  can  hide  and  nest.  Unlike 
all  other  owls,  it  is  often  heard  to  hoot  and  laugh  during  the  day- 
time, betraying  its  whereabouts  to  the  hunter,  who  deems  it 
his  duty  to  go  for  it  and  try  to  kill  it.  With  all  other  owls, 
except  the  Great  Horned  Owl,  the  Hoot  Owl  is  now  protected 
by  the  new  game  law  of  Missouri,  but  as  long  as  the  population 
is  not  educated  enough  to  understand  and  appreciate  such  a  law, 
and  as  long  as  the  newspapers  do  next  to  nothing  in  informing 
and  instructing  their  readers  in  regard  to  bird  protection,  no 
law  will  save  the  owls  and  hawks  from  being  killed  whenever 
opportunity  offers.  The  slow  process  of  elucidation  through 
Nature  study  in  the  schools  is  the  only  hope  that  in  course  of 
time  bird  protection  laws  will  receive  that  measure  of  sympathy 
which  is  necessary  for  their  enforcement. 

[370.  SCOTIAPTEX  NEBULOSA  (Forster).    Great  Gray  Owl.] 

Strix  cinerea.     Scotiaptex  cinerea.     Syrnium  cinereum.     Syrnium  lapponi- 
cum  var.  cinereum. 

Geog.  Dist. — The  wooded  districts  of  northern  North  America 
from  Lake  Superior  and  Hudson  Bay  to  the  Pacific,  and  north 
to  the  arctic  circle  and  through  Alaska  to  Behring  Straits.  In 
winter  irregularly  to  northern  border  of  United  States,  casually 
as  far  south  as  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois, 
Iowa,  Wisconsin,  Nebraska,  Wyoming,  California. 

Though  at  present  no  record  is  on  hand,  this  interesting  bird 
may  come  occasionally  as  far  south  as  Missouri,  as  it  was  taken 
once  near  Omaha,  Neb.,  December  12,  1893,  and  in  some  winters 


108  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

reaches  the  United  States  in  comparatively  large  numbers.  For 
instance,  between  January  5  and  March  3,  1897,  six  specimens 
were  captured  in  one  county  (Aitkin  Co.)  in  central  Minnesota. 
In  the  winter  of  1890-91  such  a  heavy  flight  of  this  Owl  occurred 
in  parts  of  New  England  that  a  single  taxidermist  in  Bangor, 
Me.,  received  twenty-seven  specimens.  Another  considerable 
flight  took  place  in  the  winter  of  1842-43,  when  seven  were 
taken  in  Massachusetts  alone.  We  sometimes  hear  or  read  of 
an  Owl  "as  big  as  an  eagle"  having  been  killed;  such  cases 
should  be  investigated  as  they  may  enable  us  to  remove  these 
brackets.  Since  the  above  was  written  another  great  flight  took 
place  in  the  winter  of  1906-07  (Auk.  Vol.  XXIV,  1907,  p.  215). 

[371.  CRYPTOGLAUX  TENGMALMI  RICHARDSONI  (Bonap.).     Rich- 
ardson's Owl.] 

Nyctale  richardsoni.  Nyctale  tengmalmi  richardsoni.  Strix  tengmalmi. 
American  Sparrow  Owl. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  North  America  from  the  limits  of  trees 
in  Alaska  down  to  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  In  winter  irregu- 
larly to  the  northern  border  of  United  States,  rarely  to  Oregon, 
Colorado,  Nebraska,  Iowa,  Minnesota,  Wisconsin,  Illinois  and 
New  England. 

Since  our  neighboring  states  have  had  calls  from  this  rare 
northern  guest  (Iowa;  Illinois,  October  15,  1884,  December  26, 
1902;  Nebraska,  December  10,  1892,  Lincoln),  there  is  some 
hope  that  one  of  our  future  observers  will  find  it,  if  his  attention 
is  aroused,  for  which  purpose  the  species  has  been  entered  in 
this  list.  The  American  Sparrow  Owl  is  said  to  be  strictly  noc- 
turnal, carefully  hiding  during  the  day,  and  therefore  difficult 
to  find,  but  it  may  not  be  as  rare  as  generally  supposed.  From 
the  Saw-whet  it  can  be  distinguished  by  its  slightly  larger  size, 
darker  color,  spotted  instead  of  streaked  head,  and  brownish 
barred  legs  and  feet. 

*372.  CRYPTOGLAUX  ACADICA  (Gmel.).    Saw-whet  Owl. 

Strix  passerina  (Wils.,  1812).  Strix  acadica.  Ulula  acadica.  Nyctale 
acadia  (in  juvenile  plumage  albifrons,  frontalis,  kirtlandi).  Acadian 
Owl.  Kirtland's  Owl. 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeding  from  about  latitude  50°  southward  to 
latitude  40°,  in  the  mountains  of  the  West  south  into  Mexico. 
In  winter,  in  California  to  Monterey,  in  the  Mississippi  Valley 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  109 

to  Louisiana,  on  the  Atlantic  coast  to  Virginia.  Being  a 
great  hider  in  day-time,  this  little  owl  is  regarded  as  rare 
everywhere. 

The  Saw-whet  has  repeatedly  been  taken,  alive  and  dead, 
within  the  city  limits  of  St.  Louis  in  winter,  and  is  reported  as  a 
rare  winter  visitant  by  Mr.  Worthen,  Mr.  Praeger  and  Mr.  Cur- 
rier, but  a  late  date,  April  16,  1893,  given  by  the  latter,  would 
perhaps  indicate  that  the  bird  was  on  its  breeding  ground  when 
captured.  That  it  breeds  occasionally  in  Missouri  is  demon- 
strated by  the  discovery  of  a  nest  with  three  young  ones,  in  the 
spring  of  1904,  by  Mr.  John  E.  Miiller  of  Bluff  ton,  Montgomery 
Co. 

*373.  MEGASCOPS  ASIO  (Linn.).    Screech  Owl. 

Strix   asio.     Scops  asio.     Strix   naevia.     Surnia  naevia.     Ephialtes  asio. 
Mottled  Owl. 

Geog.  Dist. — Of  the  nine  subspecies,  this  is  the  one  which  in- 
habits the  eastern  United  States  from  Georgia  northward  to 
Newfoundland,  New  Brunswick,  Ontario  and  southeastern  Mani- 
toba; west  in  the  United  States  to  about  the  100th  meridian. 
Generally  non-migratory,  breeding  throughout  its  range. 

In  all  parts  of  Missouri  a  well-known  resident,  now  apparently 
preferring  the  vicinity  of  human  habitation  and  nesting  wher- 
ever it  finds  a  suitable  site  in  tree-holes  or  about  buildings,  using, 
if  permitted,  bird-boxes  for  nesting  and  roosting.  When  liv- 
ing in  a  suburb  of  St.  Louis  the  writer  reared  a  nestful  of  downy 
young  (5),  which  were  presented  to  him  by  Mr.  Philo  W.  Smith, 
Jr.  When  they  were  fully  fledged  and  supposedly  able  to  care 
for  themselves,  they  were  given  their  freedom.  A  few  of  them 
remained  on  the  place,  often  coming  to  the  lawn  on  summer 
evenings,  in  pursuit  of  locusts,  beetles,  katidids,  etc.  During 
the  winter  they  used  some  of  the  bird-boxes  for  a  roost.  The 
following  spring  a  pair  made  a  nest  in  a  compartment  of  a  ten- 
room  fancy  bird-house,  about  twelve  feet  from  our  house,  and 
successfully  raised  a  brood,  undisturbed  by  the  numerous  ten- 
ants of  some  of  the  other  compartments  in  the  same  bird-house, 
namely,  a  pair  of  Flickers,  a  pair  of  House  Wrens,  two  pairs  of 
Martins  and  a  few  English  Sparrows.  When  the  fancy  bird- 
house  was  demolished  by  a  severe  wind-storm,  a  suitable  box 
with  a  three-inch  circular  hole  was  set  up  in  a  tree  near  the 
house,  which  the  Screech  Owls  continued  to  occupy  for  several 
years. 


110  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

*375.  BUBO  VIRGINIANUS  (GmeL).     Great  Horned  Owl. 

Strix  virginianus.     Ulula  virginiana. 

Geog.  Dist. — Of  the  six  subspecies  belonging  to  the  North 
American  bird-fauna,  this  is  the  one  which  inhabits  Eastern 
North  America  from  Costa  Rica  to  Laborador  and  Newfound- 
land; west  to  the  Plains;  non-migratory,  except  in  its  most 
northern  habitat,  and  breeding  throughout  its  range. 

Its  large  size  and  loud  voice,  together  with  an  innate  per- 
sistence of  abode  and  crepuscular  rather  than  strictly  nocturnal 
habits,  account  probably  for  the  opinion  of  nearly  all  observers 
that  it  is  a  common  bird,  while  an  equal  number  of  Saw- whet 
Owls  would  be  classed  among  the  rarest.  The  fact  that  none  of 
our  observers  omits  it  from  his  list  is  sufficient  proof  that  it 
occurs  in  all  parts  of  the  state,  wherever  old  and  partly  hollow 
trees  are  left  standing  to  afford  the  big  bird  shelter  and  a  nesting 
site.  No  one  contradicts  the  often  repeated  statement,  that 
this  powerful  bird  of  prey  is  destructive  to  poultry,  but  hardly 
any  one  will  maintain  that  the  attacks  are  made  during  the  day. 
A  natural  inference  is  that,  if  the  farmer  would  take  proper  care 
of  his  fowl  and  keep  them  at  night  where  they  belong  and  not 
in  the  open  all  winter,  there  would  be  little  loss  through  his 
owlship's  faults. 

In  the  spring  of  1878  Mr.  Julius  Hurter  presented  me  with  a 
fluffy  young  Bubo,  which  became  at  once  the  pet  of  the  house- 
hold. During  the  summer  I  often  took  him  out  with  me  to  the 
woods  and,  placing  him  where  he  could  be  seen,  had  the  satis- 
faction of  attracting  the  birds  to  us  from  all  sides.  When  he 
was  full  grown  his  grip  became  uncomfortably  tight  and  his 
claws  unbearably  pointed.  I  decided  to  trim  them,  but  his 
owlship  resented  the  operation  in  such  an  ugly  manner  that  I 
thought  best  to  leave  him  alone  for  a  while.  I  gave  him  a  roomy 
cage  with  a  box  in  which  he  could  hide  if  he  wanted  to.  I  hoped 
to  use  him  in  migration  time  to  attract  hawks,  as  they  do  with 
Bubo  ignavus  in  Europe.  This  plan  was  never  realized,  but 
Hoo-hoo,  as  we  call  him,  gave  us  much  pleasure  in  other  ways, 
and  after  twenty-nine  years'  confinement  he  is  to-day  as  hale 
and  hearty  as  ever.  During  seven  years  of  his  life  he  had  a 
companion  in  the  shape  of  a  burly  female,  much  bigger  than 
himself.  In  spite  of  this  difference  in  size  he  was  the  boss,  and 
she  did  not  attempt  to  touch  their  daily  ration  of  raw  meat  until 
he  was  satiated  and  had  withdrawn.  Her  end  was  a  rather 
mysterious  affair.  After  she  had  deposited  her  second  egg  on 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  Ill 

the  coldest  day  of  .one  of  our  coldest  winters,  with  20  degrees 
below  zero  (the  cage  was  under  a  porch,  but  otherwise  not 
sheltered  from  the  cold)  the  companion  of  seven  years  was  found 
lying  dead  on  the  floor  of  the  cage  and  her  hubby  occupied  with 
tearing  the  flesh  from  her  breast.  The  eggs  had  burst  with  the 
intense  cold.  Since  that  day  he  has  remained  a  widower,  though 
during  the  thirteen  years  we  lived  in  the  suburbs  he  came  near 
getting  another  partner  several  times.  His  hooting,  heard  in 
the  dead  of  night  for  half  a  mile  or  more,  attracted  others  of  his 
kind,  and  twice,  females,  which  remained  too  long  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, were  shot  by  neighbors.  One  female  in  particular  was 
very  persistent,  tried  her  best  to  get  into  the  cage  to  him,  and 
left  unwillingly  when  we  approached  the  cage  in  the  early  morn- 
ing after  a  night  made  memorable  by  incessant  hootings  of 
hoo  hoo  hoo,  hod,  hoo,  by  him  and  answers  of  ho  ho  ho  ho  ho 
by  her.  For  years  his  hooting  was  begun  in  September  and 
kept  up  till  February;  in  clear,  cold  moonlit  nights  he  was 
noisiest:  in  dark,  cloudy  or  rainy  nights  he  was  not  heard. 
Sometimes  he  would  not  hoot  much,  at  other  times  he  would 
hoot  for  hours  until  he  was  really  hoarse  and  his  usual  agreeable 
deep  bass  became  grating  to  the  ear.  Since  he  was  moved  back 
to  town  again  in  1902,  he  has  given  up  hooting,  though  his 
general  appearance  does  not  show  any  signs  of  old  age,  and  his 
dress,  which  he  gets  anew  in  summer,  has  the  same  depth  and 
freshness  of  color  as  ever.  He  is  never  left  without  water  to 
drink,  but  takes  a  bath  only  in  very  hot  weather,  though  he 
likes  to  sit  in  the  rain  with  wings  spread  wide.  He  is  fed  once 
a  day  before  dusk,  his  daily  ration  being  a  fourth  of  a  pound  of 
raw  meat  in  small  pieces,  varied  sometimes  with  a  rat,  mouse, 
sparrow,  or  whatever  else  is  obtainable,  but  he  rejects  moles 
and  toads.  When  mice  and  sparrows  are  offered  at  the  same 
time,  he  will  swallow  all  the  mice  before  he  touches  a  sparrow. 
Such  small  fry  he  swallows  entire,  after  breaking  the  bones  by 
rolling  the  animal  with  his  tongue  in  the  beak.  If  handed  more 
than  he  can  eat  at  one  meal,  for  instance  a  grown  chicken,  he 
will  invariably  store  the  rest  in  the  darkest  corner  of  his  box, 
but  won't  touch  it  any  more  when  it  gets  too  stale.  He  likes  to 
be  spoken  to  and  seems  to  know  those  who  care  for  him,  comes 
to  them  and  takes  food  out  of  their  hands,  but  he  hates 
dogs,  sticks  and  boys.  Once  I  found  a  crow  that  could  not  fly 
and  took  it  home  for  experimenting.  I  put  it  in  the  cage  with 
the  two  owls.  Great  was  my  surprise  to  see  that  not  only  was 


112  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

it  not  harmed  at  all,  but  the  crow  actually  became  boss  in  the 
cage.  When  the  meat  was  placed  on  the  floor  of  the  cage, 
who  came  and  ate  first? — the  crow!  Only  after  it  had  finished 
eating  came  Hoo-hoo,  and  what  he  left  went  to  the  big  she-owl. 
After  living  together  thus  harmoniously  for  about  a  year,  the 
crow  escaped  from  the  cage  and  was  never  seen  again.  Hoo- 
hoo  had  several  opportunities  for  deserting,  but  having  been 
confined  from  babyhood  he  could  not  fly  well  and  did  not  get 
far  before  we  caught  him  by  throwing  a  sack  over  his  head  and, 
for  his  own  good,  put  him  back  into  his  safe  quarters. 

375a.  BUBO  VIRGINIANUS  PALLESCENS  Stone.  Western  Horned 
Owl. 

Bubo  virginianus  subarticus  (Hoy). 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  United  States  from  western  Nebraska 
westward;  southward  to  Mexican  tablelands;  north  to  Mani- 
toba, Assiniboia,  Alberta  and  British  Columbia.  Casually  east 
to  Wisconsin  and  northern  Illinois. 

A  specimen  in  the  collection  of  Mr.  Chas.  L.  Eimbeck  was 
taken  near  New  Haven. 

376.  NYCTEA  NYCTEA  (Linn.).    Snowy  Owl. 

Strix  nyctea.     Surnia  nyctea.     Nyctea  nivea.     Nyctea  scandiaca  var.  arctica. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  portions  of  the  northern  hemisphere; 
breeding  in  America  from  eastern  Greenland  and  Laborador, 
through  the  Barren  Grounds  and  arctic  regions  to  the  islands  of 
the  Behring  Sea  and  through  northern  British  Columbia  to 
Sitka.  In  winter  to  the  southern  provinces  of  Canada  and  ir- 
regularly to  northern,  seldom  to  southern,  United  States,  as  far 
south  as  South  Carolina,  Louisiana,  central  California  and  Ber- 
muda. Records  of  large  flights  are  those  of  1876-77,  when  500 
were  reported  in  New  England  alone;  of  1892-93  and  1901-02; 
and  the  largest  of  all  in  the  winter  of  1905-06,  when  Mr.  R. 
Deane  (Auk.  Vol.  23,  p.  283)  collected  records  "of  some  eight 
hundred  specimens  from  localities  scattered  from  Nova  Scotia 
to  Nebraska  and  from  Manitoba  to  Missouri." 

In  Missouri  known  only  as  a  rare  visitant  from  the  middle  of 
November  to  the  end  of  February,  but  this  apparent  rarity  may 
partly  be  due  to  the  almost  total  lack  of  observers  or  collectors 
throughout  the  northern  part  of  the  state.  Known  records  are : 
November,  1905,  one  killed  near  Malta  Bend,  Saline  Co.,  by  Mr. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  113 

Plosser  and  mounted  by  Mr.  Emmett  Cole;  November  18,  1905, 
a  female  taken  near  the  city  limits  of  St.  Louis  (Wellston)  and 
mounted  by  Mr.  F.  Schwarz;  two  records  from  Keokuk,  No- 
vember 20,  1895,  and  December  6,  1886;  one  from  the  vicinity 
of  St.  Louis  in  the  Hurter  collection,  December  29,  1875;  two 
from  Montgomery  City  by  Mr.  Parker,  January  13  and  February 
10,  1902;  and  one  from  Jasper  Co.,  January  23,  1906,  where  two 
birds  were  encountered  by  Mr.  Johnson  of  Carthage,  Mo.,  who 
killed  one  of  them,  a  gray  one,  from  a  fence-post,  but  let  the 
other,  a  pure  white  one,  get  away.  For  this  last  record  I  am 
indebted  to  Mr.  Philo  W.  Smith,  Jr.  A  fine  specimen  in  the 
Blanke  collection  was  killed  near  St.  Charles. 

[377a.  SURNIA  ULULA  CAPAROCH  (Mull.).     American  Hawk  Owl.] 

Strix  hudsonica.     Surnia  hudsonica.    Strix  funerea.    Surniaululahudsonica. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  North  America,  breeding  from  Hudson 
Bay  throughout  wooded  regions  to  northern  Alaska,  rare  in  the 
East  except  Newfoundland;  in  the  West,  occasionally  as  far 
south  as  northern  Montana  and  Assiniboia.  In  winter  to 
southern  provinces  of  Canada  and  northern  border  of  United 
States,  rarely  to  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Nebraska 
and  even  to  Mississippi  (Corinth,  January,  1882). 

In  Missouri  it  has  been  reported  to  the  Department  of  Agri- 
culture from  Mount  Carmel,  Audrain  Co.,  by  Mrs.  M.  Musick, 
December  26,  1884,  March  10,  1885,  and  January  28,  1886;  but 
as  no  specimen  has  been  secured,  there  is  the  possibility  of  a 
confusion  with  the  Short-eared  Owl,  which  is  sometimes  called 
Hawk  Owl,  because  seen  hunting  in  bright  daylight. 

Order  PSITTACI.     Parrots,  Macaws,  Paroquets,  etc. 
Family  PSITTACID^E.     Parrots  and  Paroquets. 

382.  CONURUS  CAROLINENSIS  (Linn.).     Carolina  Paroquet. 
Psittacus  carolinensis.     Orange-headed  Parrot.     Parakeet. 

Geog.  Dist. — The  former  home  of  the  Paroquet  included  the 
Southern  States  from  eastern  Texas  to  Florida,  north  to  the 
Carolinas  on  the  Atlantic  slope,  and  in  the  Mississippi  Valley 
north  to  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Iowa  and  Nebraska.  They 
were  non-migratory  birds,  gregarious,  of  a  roving  disposition, 
and  in  their  extended  flights  in  search  of  food  reached  Pennsyl- 
vania and  New  York,  southern  Michigan  and  southern  Wis- 
consin and  followed  the  Arkansas  River  to  Colorado. 


114  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Of  their  former  abundance  in  Missouri  we  have  the  testimony 
of  several  early  explorers.  Ascending  the  Missouri  River,  Prince 
of  Wied  enters  in  his  diary,  April  14,  1833:  "On  several  planta- 
tions we  saw  troops  of  Paroquets  sitting  on  corn-stalks"  (prob- 
ably corn  of  the  preceding  year  left  in  the  field).  He  was  then 
in  the  region  of  Boonville.  On  the  following  day  (April  15, 
1833),  when  west  of  Brunswick,  he  writes:  "Above  Wakonda 
Creek  (Carroll  Co.)  we  stopped  for  the  night;  the  hunters  dis- 
persed, but  brought  back  nothing  but  Paroquets.  Again  on 
April  21,  above  the  Kaw  River,  he  mentions  the  shooting  of 
Passenger  Pigeons  and  Paroquets.  Also  on  April  23,  north  of 
Fort  Leavenworth,  he  says,  "the  hunters  procured  only  paro- 
quets." On  his  return  down  the  river  in  the  spring  of  1834, 
Prince  of  Wied  observed  Paroquets  when  in  the  region  of  Atchi- 
son  Co.,  May  14,  1834.  In  his  "Narrative  of  a  Journey  Across 
the  Rocky  Mountains,"  J.  K.  Townsend  wrote,  April  7,  1833,  at 
Boonville :  * '  We  saw  here  vast  numbers  of  the  beautiful  Parrot 
of  this  country,  the  Psittacus  carolinensis.  They  flew  around 
us  in  flocks,  keeping  a  constant  and  loud  screaming,  as  though 
they  would  chide  us  for  invading  their  territory;  and  the 
splendid  green  and  red  of  their  plumage  glancing  in  the  sunshine, 
as  they  whirled  and  circled  within  a  few  feet  of  us,  had  a  most 
magnificent  appearance.  They  seemed  entirely  unsuspicious  of 
danger,  and  after  being  fired  at  only  huddled  closer  together  as 
if  to  obtain  protection  from  each  other,  and  as  their  companions 
are  falling  around  them,  they  curve  down  their  necks  and  look 
at  them  fluttering  upon  the  ground,  as  though  perfectly  at  a 
loss  to  account  for  so  unusual  an  occurrence.  It  is  a  most  in- 
glorious sort  of  shooting,  downright,  cold-blooded  murder." 
When  Audubon,  Harris,  Bell  and  Squires  went  up  the  Missouri 
River  in  1843,  they  did  not  meet  with  any  paroquets  until  they 
came  to  Independence,  where  on  May  2,  1843,  Bell  killed  two; 
on  the  next  day  near  Fort  Leavenworth  he  again  "killed  one 
out  of  a  great  number."  On  May  4  seventeen  Paroquets  were 
seen  between  Leavenworth  and  St.  Joseph,  and  on  the  7th, 
when  nearing  the  corner  of  the  state,  Paroquets  were  "plenti- 
ful." Passing  the  northwest  corner  of  Missouri  on  May  8, 
Audubon  again  noted  "  Parrakeets ; "  also  when  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Omaha  on  the  10th,  with  the  remark:  "Parrakeets  and 
Turkeys  plentiful."  On  his  return  trip  in  the  fall  of  the  same 
year,  he  speaks  of  the  killing  of  four  "Parrakeets,"  October  9, 
1843,  the  day  before  reaching  Fort  Leavenworth.  When  Dr. 
P.  R.  Hoy  visited  the  state  on  his  tour  of  exploration  of  western 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  115 

Missouri  in  1854 ,  Paroquets  were  still  plentiful  in  some  localities. 
April  27,  1854,  he  writes  at  Boonville:  "Went  on  the  river  bot- 
tom ;  got  one  Parrakeet."  At  Chillicothe,  May  16, 1854 :  "Went 
on  the  extensive  bottoms  of  Grand  River,  so  celebrated  for  rich 
land  and  heavy  timber;  we  found  the  principal  forest  trees  to 
be  black  walnut,  burr  oak,  cottonwood,  sycamore,  hackberry, 
shagbark  hickory,  pecan,  coffee  bean,  honey  locust  and  black 

birch,  all  of  which  grow  to  an  unusually  large  size 

Parrakeets  are  abundant  about  the  large  sycamores,  Platanus 
occidentalis ,  in  the  hollows  of  which  they  roost  and  nest."  Mr. 
Chas.  K.  Worthen  writes  that  about  1855  a  flock  of  Paroquets 
was  seen  on  Fox  Island  in  the  Mississippi  River  by  his  brother. 
Mr.  H.  C.  Masters  of  Atchison,  Kan.,  an  early  settler  of  western 
Missouri,  says  that  when  he  located  at  latan,  Platte  Co.,  Mo., 
in  the  early  fifties,  there  were  hundreds  of  Paroquets  in  the  Mis- 
souri River  bottom.  F.  V.  Hayden,  in  his  report  on  the  Geology 
and  Natural  History  of  the  Upper  Missouri,  says  of  the  Paro- 
quets: "Very  abundant  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  along  thickly 
wooded  bottoms  as  far  up  the  Missouri  River  as  Fort  Leaven- 
worth,  possibly  as  high  as  the  mouth  of  the  Platte,  but  never 
seen  above  that  point."  That  was  from  1855  to  1857.  Hon. 
J.  R.  Meade  of  Wichita,  Kan.,  relates  that  when  he  started  from 
Leavenworth  over  the  old  wagon  trail  to  Lawrence  in  the  spring 
of  1859,  the  beautiful  scenery  was  varied  by  flocks  of  gaily- 
feathered  Paroquets,  chattering  in  the  tree-tops.  With  the  end 
of  the  fifties  records  of  occurrence  all  at  once  cease,  though  we 
read  in  Goss'  "Birds  of  Kansas"  that  as  late  as  spring,  1858, 
"  a  small  flock  reared  their  young  in  a  large  hollow  limb  of  a  giant 
sycamore  tree,  on  the  banks  of  the  Neosho  River  near  Neosho 
Falls."  Captain  Bendire  frequently  saw  flocks  in  the  fall  and 
winter,  1860-61,  at  Fort  Smith,  Ark.,  but  in  Missouri  flocks  of 
Paroquets  seem  to  have  faded  away  with  the  fifties.  From 
that  time  they  became  rarer  and  rarer.  Dr.  A.  F.  Eimbeck  saw 
the  last  November  3,  1867,  in  Warren  Co.,  seven  Paroquets  in 
an  orchard;  and  his  brother-in-law  saw  the  last  in  1865  near 
Pomme  de  Terre  Creek  in  Franklin  Co.  On  a  recent  tour 
through  Europe,  Dr.  Eimbeck,  who  has  a  fine  specimen  in  his 
collection  of  mounted  birds,  found  only  one  individual  in  the 
zoological  gardens  he  visited  (in  Hamburg);  he  considers  the 
species  nearly  extinct. 

That  the  lower  Missouri  River  from  Omaha  to  its  mouth  was 
once  a  favorite  resort  of  large  numbers  of  these  beautiful  and 


116  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

lovely  birds,  there  is  no  doubt,  and  we  can  easily  understand 
why  they  liked  the  region,  when  we  learn  that  they  were  fond 
of  cockle-burs,  hackberries  and  giant  sycamores.  Some  of  the 
islands  and  stretches  along  the  Missouri  River  are  covered  with 
cockle-burr  to  this  day  and  the  river  bottom  is  the  home  of  the 
hackberry  tree  and  the  giant  sycamore,  in  the  spacious  holes  of 
which  they  liked  to  roost  and  nest.  Mr.  B.  T.  Gault  wrote  in 
1888:  "At  one  time  Paroquets  were  very  plentiful  at  Paroquet 
Bluff  between  Newport  and  Batesville  on  the  White  River,  but 
none  have  been  seen  there  for  at  least  eight  years."  Dr.  C.  H. 
Merriam  reported  in  the  Auk,  Vol.  IX,  301,  that  in  the  fall  of 
1891  Mr.  Thurman  S.  Powell  saw  twTo  Paroquets  in  the  old 
Linchpin  camping  grounds  in  Stone  Co.  Lately  Mr.  Thurman 
S.  Powell  informed  me  that  on  July  18,  1905,  a  Paroquet  was 
seen  and  watched  for  some  time  at  the  gate  in  front  of  the  post- 
office  at  Notch,  Stone  Co.,  by  the  postmaster,  Mr.  Levi  Merrill, 
who  knew  Paroquets  from  Indian  Territory.  The  latest  report 
comes  from  Atchison,  Kan.,  on  the  Missouri  River  between 
Leavenworth  and  St.  Joseph.  Mr.  Geo.  J.  Remsburg  of  Oak 
Mills,  Kan.,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  this  interesting  report, 
writes  that  in  August,  1904,  his  brother,  Mr.  Wirt  Remsburg, 
killed  a  Paroquet  on  the  Remsburg  fruit  farm  near  Potter,  Kan., 
a  few  miles  south  of  Atchison,  opposite  Platte  Co.,  Mo.  The 
bird  was  alone  and  was  observed  several  days  before  it  was 
killed.  It  made  a  loud  chattering  noise  as  it  flew  about  the 
country  and  attracted  much  attention.  Mr.  Remsburg  posi- 
tively identified  it  as  a  Paroquet,  but  says  it  was  too  badly 
mangled  to  be  preserved. 

Order  COCCYGES.    Cuckoos,  etc. 

Suborder  Cuculi.     Cuckoos,  etc. 

Family  CUCULIDAE.    Cuckoos,  Anis,  etc. 

Subfamily  Coccyzinae.     Cuckoos. 
*387.  COCCYZUS  AMERICANUS  (Linn.).    Yellow-billed  Cuckoo. 

Coccygus  americanus.     Cuculus  carolinensis.     Raincrow. 

Geog.  Dist. — The  eastern  subspecies  of  the  Yellow-billed  Cuc- 
koo breeds  from  Florida,  Louisiana  and  eastern  Texas  north  to 
New  Brunswick,  southern  Ontario,  southern  Michigan,  central 
Wisconsin  and  southern  Minnesota;  west  to  South  Dakota, 


Widmann — ^1  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  117 

central  Nebraska,   Kansas,   Indian  Territory   and   Oklahoma. 
In  winter  to  Costa  Rica  and  the  West  Indies. 

The  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo  is  one  of  the  best  distributed  sum- 
mer residents  in  Missouri.  It  is  not  partial  to  any  one  region, 
though  most  numerous  in  the  southeast,  where  it  arrives  as  early 
as  April  25.  For  the  rest  of  the  state  the  first  week  in  May  is 
the  usual  time,  though  in  some  years  a  few  have  appeared,  even 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  state,  during  the  last  days  of  April, 
while  in  backward  seasons  none  have  been  seen  until  the  second 
week  in  May.  By  the  middle  of  May  they  become  more  con- 
spicuous, mating  begins  arid  transient  visitants  swell  their  num- 
bers for  a  few  days.  As  they  do  not  call  much  during  daytime 
the  first  few  days  after  arrival,  the  very  first  are  easily  overlooked, 
but  betray  their  presence  by  calls  before  dawn  of  day.  Cuckoos 
are  very  retiring  during  the  breeding  season  until  the  young 
are  fully  fledged,  when  they  lay  off  their  reserve  and  become 
familiar  visitors  to  our  shade  trees,  even  in  frequented  streets 
and  gardens.  About  the  middle  of  September  the  species  is  for 
a  few  days  more  prominent  than  usual,  their  numbers  being 
reinforced  by  guests  from  farther  north,  but  not  many  are  left 
after  September  25,  though  the  first  week  in  October  is  usually 
the  time  when  the  very  last  ones  are  noted  south  of  the  Missouri 
River.  June  4,  1881,  the  writer  found  within  the  city  limits 
of  St.  Louis  an  egg  of  this  species  in  the  nest  of  a  Catbird  and 
another  egg  near  by  in  the  nest  of  a  Black-billed  Cuckoo.  There 
are  some,  but  not  many,  instances  known  of  the  American 
Cuckoo  laying  in  the  nests  of  other  birds,  as,  unlike  the  Euro- 
pean Cuckoo,  our  Cuckoo  makes  its  own  nest,  hatches  its  own 
eggs  and  rears  its  own  young.  But  the  nest  of  our  Cuckoo  is 
such  a  frail  structure  that  a  strong  wind  storm  will  blow  it  from 
its  support  unless  the  bird  be  setting.  This  may  happen  before 
the  last  of  the  eggs  are  laid,  and  the  bird  being  pressed  may  be 
forced  to  take  recourse  in  other  birds'  nests.  Though  cuckoos' 
eggs  have  repeatedly  been  found  in  the  nests  of  Robins  and 
Catbirds,  also  in  those  of  the  Thrasher,  Woodthrush,  Cedarbird, 
Redbird  and  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak,  there  is  no  record  of  any 
of  those  birds  having  been  seen  caring  for  young  Cuckoos. 

*388.  COCCYZUS  ERYTHROPHTHALMus(Wils.).     Black-billed  Cuc- 
koo. 

Coccygus  erythrophthalmus.     Cucidus  erylhrophihalmus.     Raincrow. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  breeding  from  the 
mountainous  part  of  Georgia  north  to  Newfoundland  and  south- 


118  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

ern  Laborador,  and  in  the  west  from  eastern  Texas  and  Arkansas 
to  western  Assiniboia,  but  more  commonly  northward,  increas- 
ing in  proportion  as  the  Yellow-billed  decreases.  In  winter, 
south  to  the  West  Indies  and  northern  South  America. 

In  Missouri  this  species  is  much  less  common  as  a  summer 
resident  than  its  cousin,  the  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo,  but  has  been 
found  breeding  in  small  numbers  throughout  the  state  except 
in  the  low  southeast.  In  the  Ozarks  it  is  reported  as  a  breeder 
as  far  south  as  Heburn,  Cleburne  Co.,  Ark.,  by  Mr.  B.  T.  Gault 
in  1888,  and  at  Eureka  Springs  by  Mr.  Philo  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  in 
1906.  Both  species  frequent  the  same  localities  and  instances 
of  the  eggs  of  one  species  found  in  the  nest  of  the  other  are  not 
very  rare,  for  like  the  Yellow-billed,  it  is  sometimes  compelled 
to  deposit  its  eggs  in  other  birds'  nests,  and  such  eggs  have  been 
found  in  the  nests  of  the  Catbird,  Wood  Pewee  and  Yellow- 
Warbler.  It  comes  to  us  in  spring  about  the  same  time  as  the 
other  species,  but  is  apt  to  loiter  a  few  days  longer  in  the  fall, 
sometimes  to  the  middle  of  October  (October  15,  1899,  Keo- 
kuk;  October  16,  1885,  St.  Louis). 

Suborder  Alcyone*.     Kingfishers. 
Family  ALCEDINIDAE.     Kingfishers. 
*390.  CERYLE  ALCYON  (Linn.).     Belted  Kingfisher. 

Alcedo  alcyon. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  Panama  and  the  West  Indies  to  the  Arctic 
Ocean.  Breeds  from  southern  border  of  United  States  north- 
ward and  winters  from  the  southern  United  States  southward. 

The  distribution  of  the  Kingfisher  as  a  summer  resident  in 
Missouri  is  as  universal  as  it  possibly  can  be,  and  the  species 
may  even  be  called  common,  because  its  large  size,  loud  rattle 
and  general  habits  make  it  so  easily  observed  and  recognized 
that  nobody  who  has  an  eye  for  birds  can  overlook  it.  But,  if 
a  census  of  all  birds  were  taken,  we  would  find  that  the  King- 
fisher is  not  more  numerous  than  some  retiring  species  ordinarily 
styled  rare.  Fortunately  the  circumstance  that  it  raises  a 
pretty  large  family  prevents  a  more  rapid  decline  of  its  numbers, 
which  otherwise  would  be  the  inevitable  consequence  of  the 
treatment  it  receives  from  everyone  who  carries  a  gun.  In  the 
eyes  of  the  fisherman  and  hunter,  anything  that  catches  a  fish, 
be  it  ever  so  small  and  worthless,  is  guilty  of  a  crime  that  calls 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  119 

for  capital  punishment;  and  the  Kingfisher  is  such  a  tempting 
mark  for  the  tiro  who  longs  to  become  an  expert  wing-shot.  On 
the  rapidly  flowing  Ozark  streams,  especially  those  flowing 
southward,  the  Kingfisher  is  almost  entitled  to  the  rank  of 
permanent  resident;  farther  north  a  few  linger  through  fore- 
winter  until  real  cold  weather  sets  in;  others  return  with  the 
first  thaw,  as  February  25,  1884,  St.  Louis;  February  26,  1905, 
Warrensburg;  but  real  spring  movement  does  not  begin  before 
from  March  10  to  15,  and  in  cold  springs  a  week  or  two  later. 
Full  numbers  are  not  present  before  the  middle  of  April.  Their 
departure  in  the  fall  is  equally  irregular;  some  desert  their 
haunts  early  in  October,  while  others  do  not  think  of  leaving  be- 
fore the  first  cold  snap  comes  in  the  latter  part  of  November. 


Order  PICI.    Woodpeckers,  etc. 
Family  PICIDAE.     Woodpeckers. 

392.  CAMPEPHILUS    PRINCIPALS    (Linn.).     Ivory-billed   Wood- 
pecker. 
Picus  principalis.     White-billed  Woodpecker. 

Geog.  Dist. — Formerly  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States  north 
to  North  Carolina  and  Maryland;  west  to  Eastern  Texas,  and 
in  the  Mississippi  Valley  to  southern  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Mis- 
souri. Florida  and  Louisiana  are  the  only  states  in  which  the 
species  has  been  found  within  the  last  ten  years. 

The  last  record  of  its  capture  in  Missouri  is  November,  1895, 
when  Captain  Gillespie  of  the  St.  Louis  police  force  brought  one 
home  from  Stoddard  Co.,  and  had  it  mounted  by  Mr.  Frank 
Schwarz.  It  was  a  male  and  was  killed  near  the  Little  River 
on  November  8  by  a  local  hunter,  named  Spradlin,  eight  miles 
southwest  of  Morley,  Scott  Co. 

*393.  DRYOBATES  VILLOSUS  (Linn.).    Hairy  Woodpecker. 

Picus  vittosus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Of  the  seven  subspecies  inhabiting  North  Amer- 
ica, this  is  the  one  which  claims  the  northern  and  middle  portion 
of  the  eastern  United  States  as  its  domain  and  is  found  from 
the  Atlantic  coast  to  the  Plains,  from  North  Carolina  to  Nova 
Scotia  and  west  to  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  Non-migratory,  ex- 
cept partly  in  its  most  northern  home. 


120  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

In  Missouri  the  Hairy  Woodpecker  is  a  fairly  common  resi- 
dent, generally  distributed,  though  nowhere  numerous.  On  the 
breeding  grounds  it  is  most  conspicuous  during  the  mating  or 
wooing  season  in  early  spring,  but  becomes  very  secretive  and 
silent  when  incubation  begins  and  appears  then  scarcer  than  it 
really  is.  After  the  young  are  fully  grown  and  can  take  care  of 
themselves,  the  species  takes  to  roaming  and  visits  all  kinds  of 
trees  and  places,  even  in  thickly  settled  neighborhoods.  In 
winter  we  sometimes  see  individuals  which  strike  us  as  being 
decidedly  larger  and  whiter  than  those  we  are  used  to  seeing; 
they  may  be  visitors  from  more  northern  regions  with  a  ten- 
dency to  an  approach  toward  the  subspecies  leucomelas,  which 
inhabits  British  North  America. 

*393b.  DRYOBATES  VILLOSUS  AUDUBONII  (Swains.).    Southern 
Hairy  Woodpecker. 

Picus  audubonii. 

Geog.  Dist. — South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States,  north  to  North 
Carolina,  Tennessee,  Arkansas,  west  to  southeastern  Texas. 
Non-migratory  and  much  more  common  than  the  other  form, 
said  to  be  nearly  as  common  in  the  south  as  the  Downy  Wood- 
pecker is  in  the  North. 

In  Missouri  this  small  edition  of  Hairy  Woodpeckers,  or  at 
least  a  near  approach  to  it,  inhabits  the  overflow  region  of  the 
St.  Francis  and  Little  Rivers  in  Dunklin  and  Pemiskot  Counties. 
To  one  who  is  accustomed  to  the  common  Hairy  of  the  middle 
and  northern  states,  the  difference  in  size  and  color  is  striking. 
Mr.  B.  T.  Gault,  who  took  a  specimen  in  Dunklin  Co.,  in  March, 
1894,  writes :  "It  compares  favorably  with  the  Texas  and  Florida 
birds,  both  in  size  and  markings,  with  the  exception  of  the  bill, 
which  is  of  the  same  length  as  that  of  the  more  northern  bird 
(villosus),  though  not  as  broad  and  heavy.  With  that  one  ex- 
ception they  might  easily  be  pronounced  as  very  good  specimens 
of  the  Southern  Hairy  W." 

*394c.  DRYOBATES   PUBESCENS   MEDIANUS    (Swains.).     Downy 
Woodpecker. 

Picus  pubescens. 

Geog.  Dist. — Of  the  six  subspecies  of  Downy  Woodpeckers, 
this  is  the  one  which  inhabits  the  Middle  and  Northern  States, 
as  well  as  the  southern  provinces  of  Canada  from  Newfoundland 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  121 

to  Alberta.     Non-migratory,  except  farthest  north,  where  partly 
migratory. 

In  Missouri  it  is  a  common  resident  in  all  parts  of  the  state; 
one  of  the  few  species  deserving  the  designation  of  permanent 
resident,  meaning  that  the  same  individuals  are  found  the  whole 
year  round  at  or  near  the  same  place,  provided  that  place  fur- 
nishes food  of  the  right  kind  and  in  sufficient  quantity  in  all 
seasons.  In  winter  it  makes  regular  rounds  through  its  domain, 
often  in  company  with  Tufted  Tits,  Chickadees  and  Nuthatches, 
forming  little  troops  which  are  sometimes  joined  by  Creepers, 
Kinglets  and  Yellow-rumped  Warblers.  Its  resemblance  to  the 
Yellow-bellied  Woodpecker  in  juvenile  dress  has  earned  for  it, 
as  well  as  for  its  cousin,  the  Hairy,  the  inappropriate  name, 
Sapsucker,  and  at  the  same  time  the  hate  of  ignorant  and  in- 
tolerant people.  This  is  another  and  impressive  proof  of  the 
unreliability  of  observation  on  the  part  of  the  general  public. 
Superficial  resemblance  in  color  and  size  are  sufficient  to  con- 
found two  entirely  different  birds  and  to  blame  an  innocent  crea- 
ture for  the  imagined  wrong-doings  of  another. 

*395.  DRYOBATES    BOREALIS    (VieilL).     Red-cockated    Wood- 
pecker. 

Picus  borealis.     Picus  queridus. 

Geog.  Dist. — South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States  to  eastern  Texas; 
north  to  North  Carolina,  Tennessee,  Arkansas  and  Indian  Terri- 
tory. Non-migratory. 

Not  found  in  Missouri  as  yet,  but,  being  an  inhabitant  of  pine 
woods,  it  may  occur  on  the  southern  slope  of  the  Ozarks  in  the 
region  of  the  Short-leafed  Yellow  Pine  (Pinus  mitis  or  echinata), 
which  originally  extended  from  Perry  Co.  southwest  ward  to 
Taney  Co.  At  Heber,  Cleburne  Co.,  Ark.,  Mr.  B.  T.  Gault  ob- 
served it  daily  in  the  summer  of  1888  in  piney  woods.  Since  the 
above  was  written,  Mr.  E.  Seymour  WToodruff  found  the  Red- 
cockated  Woodpecker  in  Shannon  Co.,  three  examples  on  March 
15, 1907,  and  two  on  March  30, 1907.  On  May  5, 1907,  he  writes 
that  the  species  is  not  so  uncommon  as  he  at  first  thought.  He 
says:  "I  see  and  hear  them  constantly,  and  a  female  secured  on 
April  19  was  in  breeding  condition."  He  again  met  with  several 
Red-cockated  Woodpeckers  in  Carter  Co.,  near  the  line  of 
Reynolds  Co.,  May  29,  1907,  but  says:  "I  guess  the  cutting  off 
of  the  pine  will  drive  them  out  of  the  region.  I  have  seen  none 
near  Grandin." 


122  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

*402.  SPHYRAPICUS  VARIUS  (Linn.).     Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker. 

Picus  varius.     Yellow-bellied  Woodpecker. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  breeding  regularly  from 
Massachusetts,  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Minnesota  and  Manitoba, 
northward  in  wooded  regions  to  lat.  61° ;  south  in  the  Alleghanies 
to  North  Carolina  and  irregularly  to  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Mis- 
souri. Winters  from  about  lat.  40°  southward  to  the  West 
Indies,  Mexico  and  Costa  Rica. 

The  Sapsucker  is  best  known  in  Missouri  as  a  spring  migrant. 
During  a  few  favorable  nights  in  early  April  a  whole  army, 
northbound,  invades  the  state  and  takes  possession  of  it  for  a 
few  days;  every  clump  of  trees,  even  shade  trees  and  telephone 
posts  in  towns,  are  infested  with  them,  but  if  nothing  unseason- 
able happens  in  the  execution  of  the  weather  program,  the  mass 
disappears  as  mysteriously  as  it  came.  As  a  winter  resident  the 
species  is  scattered  singly  or  in  small  troops  throughout  southern 
Missouri  from  the  Missouri  River  bottom  southward,  but  more 
plentifully  in  the  primeval  forests  of  the  southeast.  They  are 
mostly  birds  in  juvenile  dress  and  not  much  is  seen  of  them  at 
this  season,  even  when  in  our  own  gardens,  drilling  holes  in 
pines  and  sugar  maples,  because  they  know  how  to  keep  on  the 
other  side  of  the  tree  and  rather  tiy  to  evade  us  by  remaining 
quietly  where  they  know  they  are  not  seen  'than  by  flight. 
When  detected  they  seek  safety  by  flying  to  a  distant  tree,  be- 
hind which  they  again  hide.  Besides  pine  and  maple,  there  are 
quite  a  variety  of  trees  which  they  like  to  tap  for  their  sap  in 
early  spring,  among  them  apple,  hickory,  linden,  poplar,  birch, 
etc.,  and  though  it  spoils  the  appearance  of  some  trees,  especially 
the  pine  by  resin  running  down  their  sides,  it  does  not  weaken 
the  tree  visibly,  nor  does  it  detract  from  its  productiveness.  In 
very  cold  weather  they  look  rather  disconsolate  and  apparently 
suffer  privation;  if  it  lasts  long,  they  disappear,  probably  go 
farther  south  or  die.  During  the  latter  part  of  February  there 
is  usually  a  decided  relaxation  of  the  rigor  of  winter  and,  though 
no  signs  of  spring  may  be  visible  for  a  whole  month,  some  birds 
feel  an  impulse  to  move  in  the  direction  of  their  summer  home, 
among  them  some  Sapsuckers,  appearing  in  March  in  localities 
where  they  had  not  wintered.  Real  migration  sets  in  only 
during  the  last  week  of  that  month,  and,  if  the  weather  is  not 
favorable,  postponements  are  in  order  till  early  April.  After  a 
few  days  of  preliminary  action  by  the  vanguard,  the  bulk,  as 
mentioned  above,  appears.  This  general  advancement  is  in 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  123 

turn  followed  by  a.  rearguard  of  loiterers.  As  the  weather  con- 
ditions in  early  spring  do  not  follow  any  prescribed  rules,  but  on 
the  contrary  are  subject  to  great  irregularities,  considerable 
variations  in  the  time  and  length  of  passage  occur;  in  some 
years  the  last  Sapsucker  has  passed  through  by  the  middle  of 
April,  in  others  the  bulk  does  not  come  before  that  time  and  the 
"lasts"  remain  to  the  end  of  the  month  and  sometimes  even  into 
May.  Their  transit  through  Missouri  in  the  fall  is  less  conspicu- 
ous. The  " firsts"  are  dropping  in  during  the  latter  part  of 
September,  but  we  are  more  likely  to  meet  with  them  early  in 
October,  when  for  a  week  or  two  they  may  be  met  with  most 
anywhere.  Few  linger  to  the  end  of  the  month  and  after  the 
first  week  in  November  winter  numbers  only  are  with  us.  From 
St.  Louis  northward  in  the  bottoms  of  the  Mississippi  flood  plain 
a  few  breed;  Mr.  Julius  Hurter  found  a  nest  with  young  near 
St.  Louis,  and  Mr.  E.  T.  Currier  in  Clark  Co.  A  suspiciously 
late  date  is  contributed  from  Shannon  Co.  by  Mr.  E.  S.  Wood- 
ruff,. May  9,  1907,  a  whole  fortnight  after  the  last  transient  had 
gone,  the  transit  of  the  species  taking  place  from  March  21  to 
April  24.  Another  late  record  for  southern  Missouri  is  one  made 
by  the  writer  at  Branson,  Taney  Co.,  May  10,  1906. 

*405.  CEOPHLOEUS  PILEATUS  (Linn.).    Southern  Pileated  Wood- 
pecker. 

405a.  CEOPHLOEUS    PILEATUS     ABIETICOLA     Bangs.     Northern 
Pileated  Woodpecker. 

Picusptteatus.     Hylotomus  pUeatus.     Cock-of-the- Woods.   Log-cock.  Black 
Woodcock. 

Geog.  Dist. — The  former  range  of  the  Pileated  Woodpecker 
included  all  of  North  America  south  of  the  63°  lat.  except  the 
southern  Rocky  Mountains;  at  present  restricted  to  the  less 
settled  and  more  heavily  wooded  districts,  and  therefore  rare 
in  the  Eastern  States. 

Because  the  average  size  of  the  birds  from  more  northern 
regions  is  a  trifle  larger,  with  the  white  markings  more  extended 
and  the  black  less  sooty,  more  brownish  or  grayish  brown, 
a  new  subspecies  has  been  made,  habitating  from  the  southern 
Alleghanies  northward.  Since  Missouri  is  apparently  in  the 
region  where  the  two  subspecies  merge,  a  closer  study  seems 


124  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

necessary  to  tell  to  which  of  the  two  each  individual  belongs. 
Fortunately,  Pileated  Woodpeckers  are  still  found  in  different 
parts  of  the  state,  more  especially  in  the  heavy  timber  of  the 
southeast.  The  species  is  non-migratory,  wintering  where  it 
occurs.  Because  generally  described  as  shy  and  without  adapt- 
ability to  changed  conditions  of  environment,  an  exceptional 
case  deserves  mention,  in  which  a  pair  accepts  the  hospitality 
and  protection  of  a  suburban  place,  that  of  Dr.  A.  F.  Eimbeck 
of  New  Haven,  Mo.,  and  continues  to  raise  an  interesting 
family. 

*406.  MELANERPES    ERYTHROCEPHALUS    (Linn.).     Red-headed 
Woodpecker. 

Picus  erythrocephalus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  Amercia,  from  Gulf  of  Mexico 
to  southern  Ontario  and  eastern  Manitoba,  slowly  spreading  to 
adjacent  districts.  West  to  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  (eastern  Wyoming  and  Colorado),  straggling  west- 
ward to  Salt  Lake  Valley  and  Arizona.  Formerly  common  in 
Connecticut  and  Massachusetts,  now  rare  east  of  Hudson  River. 
Winters  chiefly  south  of  latitude  37°,  where  it  remains  from  the 
end  of  September  to  the  end  of  April,  appearing  at  its  most 
northern  habitat  late  in  May  and  leaving  there  in  August  or 
early  September.  Quite  a  number  winter  in  the  region 
between  37°  and  40°,  single  individuals  even  farther  north  in 
southern  Wisconsin,  Iowa  and  Nebraska. 

In  Missouri  the  Red-head  is  one  of  the  best  known,  most 
familiar,  summer  residents  in  all  parts  of  the  state.  It  is  un- 
doubtedly the  most  numerous  member  of  the  family  in  summer. 
In  traveling  through  the  state  we  see  no  bird  as  often  along  rail- 
road lines  or  highways  as  this  strikingly  beautiful  and  confiding 
friend  of  man.  It  likes  the  deep  woods  in  winter,  but  in  summer 
it  wants  to  be  on  open,  preferably  cultivated,  land.  When  most 
of  the  states  were  covered  with  tree  growth  the  Redhead's  home 
was  on  the  towering  giants  with  which  the  woods  were  richly 
sprinkled.  With  the  partial  clearing  of  the  land  it  did  not 
disappear  from  sight,  as  most  woodland  birds  are  bound  to  do, 
but  on  the  contrary  became  for  a  time  more  numerous,  appar- 
ently at  least,  especially  where  deadenings  existed  or  trees  and 
stumps  were  left  standing  in  the  field  or  as  bulwarks  against  the 
encroachments  of  the  creeks.  It  seems  to  be  thankful  for  the 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  125 

acts  of  civilization  and  not  averse  to  benevolent  assimilation. 
Where  its  last  trees  and  stumps  are  removed  it  takes  to  tele- 
graph and  telephone  poles,  sometimes  much  to  its  undoing, 
as  ignorance  accuses  it  of  weakening  the  poles  and  cruel  man 
with  no  regard  for  the  sanctity  of  home,  plays  havoc  in  an  atrocious 
manner  by  closing  up  the  hole.  When  not  molested  the  hand- 
some bird  becomes  an  inmate  of  our  suburban  homes,  of  parks 
and  cemeteries,  of  every  clump  of  trees  about  the  farms,  and  even 
of  shade  trees  in  the  streets  of  towns.  There  are  few  birds 
that  come  with  more  precision  than  our  Redheads  in  the  spring. 
As  with  other  summer  residents  which  are  in  some  measure 
winter  residents,  the  real  spring  movement  of  this  species  is 
somewhat  obscured  by  individuals  which  have  only  tempor- 
arily retreated  to  near-by  sheltered  bottoms  and  return  with 
milder  weather,  more  or  less  in  advance  of  the  masses  that  have 
gone  farther  away  and  patiently  wait  till  their  regular  time 
has  come.  This  is  for  the  whole  state  between  April  20  and  29, 
when  after  a  few  favorable  nights  their  old  haunts  are  resounding 
with  their  peculiar  calls.  They  are  particularly  numerous  and 
noisy  during  the  first  half  of  May,  after  which  they  settle  down 
to  domestic  duties.  In  July,  when  the  young  ones  are  grown, 
the  species  becomes  again  conspicuous  and  remains  so  until  the 
middle  of  September.  Strangely  enough  they  leave  us  while 
the  land  is  still  flowing  with  milk  and  honey  for  such  pretensions 
as  Woodpeckers  are  supposed  to  have,  but  they  know  a  land 
where  beechnuts  grow,  and  there  they  go.  Their  departure  is 
as  wonderful  as  their  arrival  in  spring;  all  at  once  they  are  gone. 
They  seem  to  go  in  a  body,  sometimes  even  in  daytime.  Within 
one  hour,  10-11  a.  m.,  September  15,  1884,  I  counted  284  flying 
across  the  Mississippi  River  in  the  southern  part  of  St.  Louis, 
all  going  the  same  way,  eastward. 

This  exodus  takes  place  in  the  third  week  of  September, 
leaving  only  those  behind  which  intend  to  winter.  Most  of 
their  usual  summer  haunts  are  deserted,  but  exceptions  are  not 
rare  where  solitary  birds  or  a  few  together  are  found  even  in 
small  oak  groves  all  winter  in  suburbs  or  villages.  Quite  different 
conditions  prevail  in  the  heavy  timber  of  the  sheltered  bottom- 
lands, principally  in  the  southeast.  There  the  Redheads  know 
no  season;  all  winter  whole  troops  of  them  hammer  away  on 
dark  and  dreary  days  or  frolic  when  the  sun  shines.  There  is 
no  bird  more  playful  than  the  Redhead. 


126  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

*409.  CENTURUS  CAROLINUS  (Linn.).     Red-bellied  Woodpecker. 

Picus  carolinus.     Melanerpes  carolinus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  from  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  Ches- 
apeake Bay,  rarely  northward  in  the  Atlantic  States  to  Massa- 
chusetts; west  of  the  Alleghanies  north  to  southwestern  On- 
tario, southern  Michigan,  southern  Wisconsin  and  southeastern 
South  Dakota;  west  to  eastern  Nebraska,  central  Kansas, 
Indian  Territory  and  Texas;  occasionally  to  Colorado.  With 
the  exception  of  the  most  northern  part  of  this  range  chiefly 
non-migratory,  but  seldom  leaving  the  woods  in  winter. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  resident  in  all  parts  of  the  state, 
though  more  common  south  and  eastward,  especially  in  the 
river  bottoms  and  the  alluvial  counties  of  the  southeast. 

*412.  COLAPTES  AURATUS   LUTEUS  Bangs.    Northern  Flicker. 

Cumulus  auratus.  Colaptes  auratus.  Picus  auratus.  Yellow-shafted,  Yel- 
low-winged or  Golden-winged  Woodpecker.  Pigeon  Woodpecker. 
High-holder.  Yellow-hammer. 

Geog.  Dist. — Like  the  Pileated  Woodpecker  the  Flicker  has 
been  spilt  into  two  subspecies,  a  northern  and  a  southern,  the 
latter  belonging  fortunately  to  the  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf 
States,  therefore  not  concerning  us  in  Missouri.  The  range  of 
the  northern  subspecies  includes  all  the  rest  of  eastern  and  nor- 
thern North  America,  west  to  the  foothills  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains in  Colorado  and  Wyoming.  North  of  the  United  States 
it  ranges  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  and  along  the  Yukon 
almost  to  the  Bering  Strait.  South  in  winter  to  the  Southern 
States  and  on  the  Pacific  coast  occasionally  to  southern  Cali- 
fornia. Though  a  migratory  bird  many  winter  in  the  Middle 
States  and  some  even  in  the  Northern  States  and  western 
Ontario. 

In  Missouri  the  Flicker  is  one  of  the  best  known,  most  common 
and  universally  distributed  summer  residents.  It  has  adapted 
itself  to  the  new  conditions  of  the  country  to  such  a  degree 
that  it  is  now  found  breeding  comparatively  seldom  far  away 
from  the  scenes  of  human  activity.  It  is  one  of  our  most  amus- 
ing pets  in  suburban  and  country  places,  pleasing  with  its  varied 
repertory  of  calls  and  ludicrous  gestures,  attitudes  and  manoeu- 
vres during  the  time  of  wooing,  which  is  apparently  much  pro- 
tracted for  the  sake  of  its  own  and  others'  amusement.  As  a 
winter  resident  the  Flicker  may  be  called  fairly  common  to  rare 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  127 

as  we  go  from  the  Missouri  River  northward,  and  from  fairly 
common  to  common  as  we  go  southward.  Like  the  Redhead 
it  winters  even  in  places  which  afford  little  food  and  shelter 
but  extends  its  daily  forage  to  distant  feeding  grounds.  A 
Flicker  which  roosted  all  winter  in  one  of  our  bird  boxes,  left  it 
early  in  the  morning,  flying  straight  south  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  follow.  It  was  never  seen  during  the  day  but  came  back 
to  its  box  every  evening  before  dark.  The  month  of  March  is 
the  time  set  for  the  return  of  the  Flicker  to  Missouri,  but  since 
the  inconstancy  of  March  weather  is  proverbial,  it  is  not  surpris- 
ing to  find  that  this  event  may  take  place  just  as  well  in  the  first 
as  in  the  second,  third  or  fourth  week  of  the  month,  the  records 
of  a  long  series  of  years  being  thus  evenly  distributed.  Large 
troops  of  transient  visitants,  often  in  company  with  Robins,  pass 
through  between  the  middle  of  March  and  latter  part  of  April, 
sometimes  spending  a  week  or  more  at  the  same  place  awaiting 
the  desired  change  in  the  weather.  Extended  wandering  is  done 
at  night  but  local  movements  are  sometimes  noticed  in  daytime. 
March  23,  1895,  I  counted  one  hundred  Flickers  in  as  many 
minutes  all  following  the  same  route  along  the  bluffs  at  Creve 
Coeur  Lake,  St.  Louis  Co.,  in  a  northeasterly  direction.  Being 
very  sociable,  congenial  fellows,  they  gather  in  flocks  very  early 
in  autumn.  On  favorite  grounds  troops  may  be  met  with  in 
August,  largely  increased  by  transients  in  September,  but  toward 
the  end  of  the  month  a  sudden  decrease  is  noticeable  and  by  the 
first  of  October  many  of  their  haunts  are  deserted  and  their 
occurrence  slowly  approaches  the  state  which  we  see  in  winter, 
though  the  advent  of  real  winter  may  yet  induce  many  of  the 
less  brave  to  depart  for  a  milder  clime  at  the  last  moment. 

413.  COLAPTES  CAFER  coLLARis  (Vigors).    Red-shafted  Flicker. 

Colaptes  mexicanus.     Colaptes  collaris.     Picus  mexicanus.     Colaptes  ayresii 
(Aud.).     Colaptes  cafer.     Colaptes  hybridus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  North  America  from  British  Columbia 
south  to  Mexico;  east  to  eastern  Nebraska  and  central  Kansas; 
west  to  the  coast  ranges  of  Oregon  and  Washington  and  to  the 
Pacific  coast  from  northern  California  to  Lower  California. 
Hybrid  forms  are  found  wherever  the  two  species  meet  from 
Alberta  and  Assiniboia  southward  over  the  Plains  and  in  mi- 
gration as  far  eastward  as  western  Missouri. 

Mr.  B.  F.  Bush  of  Courtney,  Mo.,  writes:    "I  shot  several 


128  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

birds  on  December  29,  1889,  of  Red-shafted  Flicker,  a  fine  male 
of  which  I  skinned  and  preserved.  Saw  several  others  on  April 
17, 1895,  and  have  frequently  seen  the  birds  since  then,  but  made 
no  more  notes  or  dates." 


Order  MACROCHIRES.    Goatsuckers,  Swifts,  etc. 

Suborder  Caprimulgi.     Goatsuckers. 
Family  CAPRIMULGIDAE.  Goatsuckers. 
*416.  ANTROSTOMUS  CAROLINENSIS  (Gmel.).   Chuck-wilTs-widow. 

Caprimulgus  carolinensis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeds  in  Southern  United  States  north  to  south- 
ern Virginia,  West  Virginia,  Kentucky,  southwestern  Indiana, 
southern  Illinois,  southern  Missouri,  rarely  to  Kansas;  west  to 
southwestern  Texas.  In  winter  to  the  West  Indies  and  through 
eastern  Mexico  to  South  America. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  summer  resident  from  Perry  Co. 
southwestward  along  the  southern  slope  of  the  Ozark  Mountains 
from  the  latter  part  of  April  to  the  end  of  September. 

*417.  ANTROSTOMUS  VOCIFERUS   (Wils.).     Whip-poor-will. 

Caprimulgus  vociferus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Plains,  north  to  the  southern  provinces  of  Canada,  west  to  Mani- 
toba, Dakotas,  central  Nebraska,  rarely  to  Kansas.  Breeds  from 
northwestern  Louisiana  and  Florida  northward  and  winters 
from  Florida  southward  to  Guatemala. 

In  Missouri  the  Whip-poor-will  is  a  well-known  summer  resi- 
dent in  most  parts  of  the  state.  It  is  most  numerous  on  the 
northern  slope  of  the  Ozarks  inhabiting  the  densely  scrub-oak 
covered  hillsides,  its  ideal  home  site.  Next  to  this  most  favored 
territory  it  chooses  the  rocky  parts  of  the  Ozark  border  region 
and  the  wooded  river  bluffs  of  central  and  northern  Missouri. 
On  the  southern  slope  of  the  Ozarks  it  is  generally  replaced  by 
the  Chuck-will's-widow,  but  in  many  localities  both  species 
occur  together,  coming  into  towns  together  to  perform  their  noisy 
serenades  alternately  or  ensemble.  These  performances  become 
shorter  and  less  and  less  regular  in  June  and  cease  entirely  in 
July  but  are  sometimes  heard  again  in  late  August  or  September. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  129 

Their  general  departure  is  taken  in  September,  but  occasionally 
we  meet  one  in  early  October,  up  to  the  10th  of  that  month. 
In  migration  queer  places  are  sometimes  resorted  to  for  a  day's 
rest,  as  for  instance  a  brushy  sinkhole  by  the  side  of  a  frequented 
street  in  a  suburb  of  St.  Louis,  April  8,  1899.  In  the  southern 
half  of  the  state  the  first  Whip-poor-wills  are  heard  in  the  first 
half  of  April,  in  the  northern  between  the  tenth  and  last  of  the 
month.  Eggs  have  been  found  in  St.  Louis  county,  April  24,  but 
cool  weather  retards  laying  until  May .  From  many  suitable  patch- 
es of  woodland  the  species  has  disappeared,  or  visits  them  in  mi- 
gration only,  because  driven  away  by  pasturing  animals,  too 
many  of  which  are  kept  on  a  small  area,  devastating  the  under- 
brush and  tramping  everything  under  feet.  Where  hogs  are 
kept  no  ground-builder  can  long  survive  as  they  destroy  both  eggs 
and  unfledged  young  and  are  in  this  respect  as  bad  as,  or  worse 
than,  cats  or  dogs.  In  the  low  southeastern  counties,  where  that 
part  of  the  area  not  subject  to  yearly  inundation  is  now  given  up 
to  agriculture,  the  Whip-poor-will  is  only  an  occasional  transient 
visitant  as  it  is  in  most  of  the  woodland  in  the  flood-plains  of 
the  large  rivers. 

*418.  PHALAENOPTILUS  NUTTALLII  (Aud.).    Poor-will. 

Caprimulgus  nuttallii.     Antrostomus  nuttallii.     NuttalFs  Whip-poor-will. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  United  States,  east  to  southeastern 
Dakota,  eastern  Nebaska  and  eastern  Kansas;  north  to  central 
Idaho  and  Montana,  also  to  interior  of  British  Columbia,  west  to 
Cascades  and  Sierra  Nevada.  In  winter  south  from  southern 
border  of  United  States  to  Guatemala. 

In  Missouri  found  by  Mr.  H.  Nehrling  in  Lawrence  Co.  in 
1885  and  probably  a  rare  summer  resident  in  western  Missouri, 
as  he  heard  its  call  regularly  in  May  and  June.  Mr.  B.  F.  Bush 
also  heard  the  bird  in  McDonald  and  Barry  Counties  and  thinks 
it  must  breed  there.  Eggs  were  taken  June  1 , 1886,  at  Richmond, 
Kansas.,  within  35  miles  of  the  state  line. 

[418a.    PHALAENOPTILUS  NUTTALLII  NITIDUS  Brewst.      Frosted 

Poor-will.] 

Geog.  Dist. — Texas  to  Arizona;  north  to  Kansas;  south  to 
Mexico. 

A  female  shot  by  Col.  N.  S.  Goss  September  23, 1881,  at  Neosho 
Falls,  Kan.,  35  miles  west  of  Missouri  has  been  identified  as  be- 


130  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

longing  to  this  subspecies.  Since  the  geographic  distribution  of 
the  Poor-wills  does  not  seem  to  "be  definitely  established,  it  will 
be  well  to  examine  carefully  every  specimen  taken  in  Missouri. 

*420.  CHORDEILES  VIRGINIANUS  (Gmel.).    Nighthawk. 

Caprimulgus  virginianus.     Caprimulgus  popetue.     Chordeiles  popetue.  Bull- 
bat.     Mosquito  Hawk. 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeds  in  the  eastern  United  States  from  Gulf 
coast  northward,  chiefly  north  of  lat.  35°;  west  to  the  Plains. 
North  of  the  United  States  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific, 
north  to  Hudson  Bay  and  Mackenzie  River,  and  in  wooded  dis- 
tricts of  the  western  United  States  south  to  northern  California. 
Winters  from  the  Bahamas  and  Central  America  to  the  Argentine 
Republic. 

In  Missouri  a  common  transient  visitant  in  all  parts  of  the 
state,  but  not  at  all  common  as  a  summer  resident  except  in 
towns  and  cities  where  it  lays  its  eggs  and  rears  its  young  un- 
disturbed on  gravel  roofs  of  the  highest  buildings.  It  also  breeds 
on  cliffs  and  bluffs  along  the  large  rivers  and  on  ridges  of  the 
Ozarks,  but  seems  to  have  been  driven  from  the  prairie  region. 
Quiet  during  breeding  time  it  becomes  noisy  early  in  July  when, 
joined  by  its  still  more  vociferous  offspring,  it  attracts  general 
attention  to  its  wonderful  aerial  evolutions  and  gives  the  city 
people  opportunity  for  admiration  until  migration  begins  in 
August.  The  spirit  of  unrest  seems  to  seize  it  early  in  August 
when  it  deserts  its  breeding  haunts  in  the  city  to  go  hunting  over 
lakes  and  rivers,  fields  and  meadows,  along  the  edge  of  woods 
and  in  the  clearings,  and  it  soon  becomes  evident  that  migration 
from  the  north  has  commenced.  The  bulk  of  the  transient  visi- 
tants passes  through  Missouri  between  August  25  and  September 
25  when  considerable  numbers  may  be  seen  in  large  loose  troops 
anywhere  in  the  state,  but  no  such  imposing  sights  have  been 
enjoyed  during  the  last  ten  years  as  formerly,  when  in  the  face  of 
on-coming  thunderstorms  hundreds,  yes  thousands,  of  these 
swift  and  graceful  flyers  were  speeding  southward  in  dense  flocks. 
Recommended  in  newspapers  by  the  sporting  editor  as  delicious 
game  the  Bull-bats  have  been  the  target  of  our  hunting  fraternity 
for  years,  but  the  new  game  law  of  1905  does  not  consider  Bull- 
bats  as  legitimate  game,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  the  destruction  of 
this  useful  bird  will  cease.  In  spite  of  their  rapid  and  unsteady 
flight  large  numbers  are  maimed  or  killed,  because,  unmindful 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  131 

of  the  continual  reports  of  guns,  they  persist  in  beating  up  and 
down  the  same  path  of  a  rich  hunting  field,  on  a  lake  or  on  the 
shores  of  a  river.  As  a  mosquito  and  gnat  catcher  it  has  no  equal, 
devouring  them  in  enormous  quantities.  Though  getting  scarce 
during  the  last  days  of  September,  loiteres  are  always  met  with 
in  the  first  week  of  October,  sometimes  to  the  end  of  the  second 
week.  In  spring  the  Nighthawk  does  not  play  sucfr  a  prominent 
part  as  in  autumn  migration.  The  species  never  becomes  com- 
mon before  early  May,  though  the  first  may  chance  to  be  noted 
any  day  after  the  22d  of  April  in  the  southern  and  the  27th  in 
the  more  northern  parts  of  the  state.  The  transit  of  north- 
bound Nighthawks  is  distributed  over  the  whole  month  of  May 
and  has  on  special  occasions  been  observed  taking  place  in  very 
large  flocks,  as  on  May  25,  26  and  27, 1882,  at  St.  Louis.  Usually 
the  passage  escapes  notice,  because  performed  in  fine  weather 
at  great  height.  Following  once  with  my  field  glass  a  hawk, 
soaring  high  above,  my  field  of  vision  was  crossed  by  Nighthawks, 
which  proved  to  be  a  part  of  an  extended  flight  utterly  invisible 
to  the  naked  eye. 

[420a.  CHORDEILES    VIRGINIANUS    HENRYI    (Cass.).      Western 
Nighthawk. 

Chordeiles  henryi. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  North  America  north  to  southern 
British  Columbia,  Alberta  and  throughout  Assiniboia,  breeding 
in  the  United  States  from  western  Kansas  and  western  Nebraska 
and  southeastern  Dakota  to  the  desert  region  of  southeastern 
California;  winters  in  northern  South  America.  In  migration 
casual  to  Wisconsin  and  Illinois. 

Captain  Bendire  writes :  "  The  eastern  limits  of  its  range  extend 
well  into  Minnesota,  Iowa,  northern  and  central  Illinois,  where 
it  is  the  prevailing  form  found  throughout  the  prairie  regions 
of  these  states."  Mr.  Chas.  K.  Worthen  of  Warsaw,  111.,  opposite 
the  northeast  corner  of  Missouri,  writes,  that  he  has  taken  it 
repeatedly  some  seasons,  and  he  regards  it  as  a  not  very  un- 
common transient  visitant. 


[420c.  CHORDEILES  VIRGINIANUS  SENNETTI  (Coues).     Sennett's 
Nighthawk.] 

Geog.  Dist. — Treeless  region  from  the  Saskatchewan  to  Texas. 
Has  been  taken  near  Boone  in  central,  and  at  Sioux  City  and 


132  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

m  Monona  Co.,  western  Iowa,  and  is  therefore  likely  to  occur  in 
the  prairie  part  of  Missouri.  Mrs.  V.  Bailey  writes:  "Though 
lighter  than  virginianus,  henryi  is  much  darker  than  sennetti, 
which  is  light  brown,  buffy,  and  on  wing  coverts  mainly  whitish." 
Also:  "top  of  head  brownish  instead  of  blackish,  wing  coverts 
largely  whitish,  under  parts  with  dark  bars  brown  instead  of 
black,  spaced  with  white  instead  of  buffy." 

Suborder  Cypseli.     Swifts. 
Family  MYCROPODIDAE.     Swifts. 
Subfamily  Chaeturinae.     Spine-tailed  Swifts. 
*423.  CHAETURA  PELAGICA  (Linn.).    Chimney  Swift. 

Hirundo  pelasgia.     Cypselus  pelasgia.     Chaetura  pelasgia.     Chimney  Swal- 
low. 


.  Dist.  —  Breeds  in  Eastern  North  America  from  Florida 
to  Labrador  and  Manitoba;  west  to  eastern  Nebraska  and  Kan- 
sas, extending  its  range  with  settlements  westward.  In  winter 
to  Gulf  of  Campeachy. 

In  Missouri  the  Chimney  Swift  is  a  very  common  summer 
resident  wherever  there  are  chimneys  for  it  to  use;  it  is  most 
abundant  in  towns  and  villages,  especially  old  settlements  along 
rivers,  but  deserts  the  densely  built-up  parts  of  the  largest 
cities.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  Swifts  of  Missouri  outnumber 
by  far  all  the  species  of  swallows  taken  together,  because  their 
distribution  is  not  local  but  universal.  Where  no  chimney  but 
access  to  the  attic  or  an  outbuilding  can  be  had,  they  find  such 
places  to  their  liking  and  stick  their  nests  to  rough  boards, 
sometimes  several  in  close  proximity,  but  never  one  below  an- 
other. In  the  region  of  the  Water  Tupelo,  the  trunks  of  which 
are  sometimes  hollow  from  top  to  bottom  with  large  opening  on 
top,  the  Swifts  still  observe  the  custom  of  former  ages,  using  them 
for  roosts  and  nests;  but  such  cases  will  become  rarer  now  as 
did  the  use  of  the  hollow  Sycamores  in  the  river  bottoms  a  genera- 
tion ago.  The  Swift  has  profited  more  than  any  other  species 
of  birds  by  the  change  which  civilization  has  brought  about, 
and  it  was,  indeed,  a  fortunate  and  momentous  event  when  its 
ancestors  for  the  first  time  dared  to  enter  and  nest  in  the  chimneys 
of  the  early  settlers.  Though  places  more  or  less  suitable  for 
nests  may  not  have  been  very  rare  before  the  advent  of  the  white 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  133 

man,  no  hollow  trees  can  have  afforded  the  security  which  an 
unused  chimney  of  a  dwelling  gives,  inaccessible  as  it  is  to  nearly 
all  the  former  enemies  in  the  woods.  It  is  this  abundance  of 
safe  nesting  sites  which  accounts  for  the  enormous  increase  of 
Swifts  since  they  became  Chimney  Swifts,  and  which  allows  of 
a  steadily  growing  extension  of  their  breeding  range  into  formerly 
uninhabited  regions.  With  his  rare  gift  of  daring,  which  enables 
the  Swift  to  penetrate  deep  into  the  chimneys  of  occupied  houses, 
he  couples  a  great  amount  of  sagacious  caution  as  shown  when 
placing  his  nest  into  chimneys  which  he  has  reason  to  believe 
will  be  used  occasionally.  I  have  repeatedly  found  nests  placed 
a  short  distance  below  the  mouth  of  the  stove  pipe,  though 
eight  and  more  feet  from  the  mouth  of  the  chimney,  an  expedient 
of  great  advantage  in  case  of  a  short  period  of  unseasonable  fires 
in  the  stove.  The  first  Swifts  of  the  season  reach  Missouri 
in  the  southeast  in  the  last  days  of  March  (March  28,  Butler  Co.) 
and  St.  Louis  a  week  later  (April  2,  1888,  April  3,  1887,  earliest 
record  March  31,  1885),  but  these  forerunners  are  so  few  that  the 
best,  perhaps  the  only,  way  to  find  them  is  to  watch  in  the  evening 
one  of  their  chimneys  used  for  common  roost.  We  have  records 
of  their  arrival  during  the  first  week  of  April  not  only  from  St. 
Louis,  but  repeatedly  from  Fayette  and  once  even  from  Keokuk 
(April  7,  1897),  but  the  Swifts  are  not  generally  seen  before  the 
second  week  and  become  common  only  after  the  middle  of  the 
month,  usually  during  the  third  week.  From  April  20  to  May 
20  the  common  roost  is  not  only  used  by  the  Swifts  of  the  neigh- 
borhood, but  also  by  varying  numbers  of  transient  visitants 
exceeding  many  times  that  of  the  summer  residents.  By  May 
20  the  rush  of  north-bound  guests  suddenly  subsides,  but  strag- 
glers continue  to  the  end  of  the  month.  May  and  early  June, 
the  time  of  mating  and  wooing  and  noisy  excitement,  and  of 
the  presence  of  troops  of  transients,  is  the  time  when  they 
are  most  conspicuous  contributors  to  the  animation  of  our 
landscape.  When  incubation  begins  the  Swifts,  seen  before 
always  flying  noisily  hi  twos  or  threes  or  little  troops,  all 
at  once  fly  singly  and  in  silence.  This  period  lasts  until  the  end 
of  July  or  into  August,  when  the  young  are  on  the  wing  and  noise 
and  bustle  begin  anew,  kept  up  chiefly  by  the  youngsters, 
which  are  at  this  time  of  the  year  easily  distinguished  from  their 
parents  by  the  perfect,  unbroken  outline  of  their  pointed,  long, 
strongly  curved  wings,  while  the  parents  show  decided  signs  of 
wear  and  moult,  having  shed  certain  of  the  primaries.  As  the 


134  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

young  can  not  catch  sufficient  food  and  still  need  the  help  of 
the  parents  for  several  days  after  being  on  the  wing,  they  return 
to  the  paternal  home  sometimes  during  the  day  and  surely  in  the 
evening.  After  they  have  become  entirely  independent,  the 
whole  family  usually  quits  the  nest  chimney  and  betakes  itself 
to  the  common  roost.  There  the  attendance  increases  steadily 
during  August  and,  since  it  is  also  used  by  transients,  reaches  its 
maximum  in  September,  when  great  variations  occur,  showing 
the  coming  and  going  of  the  guests.  These  have  also  been  seen 
using  the  chimney  for  resting  in  daytime,  entering  at  six  in  the 
morning  and  reappearing  at  three  in  the  afternoon,  thus  ex- 
plaining a  remarkable  scarcity  of  the  species  at  certain  times  of 
the  day.  The  species  remains  with  us  in  goodly  numbers  through 
the  first  week  of  October,  usually  one  of  much  sunshine  and  an 
abundance  of  winged  insects,  but  becomes  very  rare  during  the 
second  week,  except  sometimes  at  the  common  roost  in  the 
evening.  Dates  of  "last  seen"  vary  during  ten  years  observa- 
tion by  Mr.  Currier  at  Keokuk  from  October  2  to  18,  mostly 
between  10  and  13,  and  at  St.  Louis  from  October  12  to  24, 
mostly  between  14  and  19. 


Suborder  Trochili.     Hummingbirds. 

Family  TROCHILIDAPL     Hummingbirds. 

*428.  TROCHILUS  COLUBRIS  Linn.     Ruby-throated  Hummingbird. 

Mellisuga  colubris. 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeding  from  the  Gulf  coast  to  Labrador,  west 
to  Alberta,  North  Dakota,  eastern  Nebraska,  and  Kansas. 
Winters  from  southern  Florida  to  Cuba,  Mexico  and  Central 
America. 

In  Missouri  a  common  summer  resident  in  all  parts,  but  most 
numerous  in  the  Ozarks  and  in  the  bluff  region  of  the  large  rivers. 
In  Pemiscot  Co.  the  first  male  Hummer  of  the  season  was  seen  as 
early  as  April  11,  1893,  the  early-flowering  Red  Shrub  Buckeye 
being  the  main  attraction  in  the  southeast.  In  the  neighborhood 
of  St.  Louis  the  first  Hummer  should  be  looked  for  about  the 
early  blossoms  of  the  Tree  Buckeye  between  April  22  and  28, 
though  in  cool  springs  sometimes  not  before  from  May  1  to  5. 
The  first  week  of  May  is  the  time  when  the  van  of  the  species  can 
be  expected  in  most  parts  of  the  state.  At  St.  Louis  males  do 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  135 

not  become  common  before  the  5th,  females  not  before  the  12th 
of  May,  when  mating  begins  at  once  and  the  peculiar  pendulum 
movement  of  the  courting  male  may  be  observed.  Transient 
visitants  are  sometimes  found  in  small  flocks,  less  often  in  spring 
than  in  autumn,  when  a  dozen  or  more  are  seen  scattered  over  a 
garden  where  flowers  abound.  In  such  places  they  are  conspic- 
uous frequenters  from  August  to  early  October  or  until  frost  kills 
their  favorite  Scarlet  Sage,  often  in  the  second  week  of  the  month, 
but  loiterers  have  been  reported  much  later,  as  October  20, 
St.  Louis;  October  23,  1903,  Keokuk;  October  18,  1903  and 
November  2,  1902,  New  Haven  (Dr.  Eimbeck). 


Order  PASSERES.    Perching  Birds. 
Suborder  Clamatores.     Songless  Perching  Birds. 
Family  TYRANNIDAE.    Tyrant  Flycatchers. 
[443.  MUSCIVORA  FORFICATA  (Gmel.).    Scissor-tailed  Flycatcher.] 

Muscicapa  forficata.     Tyrannus  forficatus.     Milvulus  forficatus.     Swallow- 
tailed  Flycatcher.     Bird  of  Paradise  (Texas). 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeds  in  southern  Kansas,  Indian  Territory, 
Oklahoma  and  Texas.  Migrates  through  eastern  Mexico  to 
Costa  Rica.  Accidental  in  southern  Florida,  Louisiana,  New 
Jersey,  New  England,  Nebraska,  Manitoba  and  Hudson  Bay 
region. 

Books  mention  southwest  Missouri  among  the  breeding 
localities  of  this  species,  but  there  seems  to  be  no  authentic 
record  of  its  occurrence  in  the  state,  though  it  is  very  probable 
that  the  Scissor-tailed  Flycatcher  was  once  a  rare  breeder  in 
Missouri.  There  is  a  record  of  its  breeding  within  60  miles  of 
the  western  state  line,  May  13, 1875,  at  Neodesha,  Kan. 

*444.  TYRANNUS  TYRANNUS  (Linn.).    Kingbird. 

Lanius    tyrannus.     Muscicapa       tyrannus.     Tyrannus    carolinensis.     Bee 
Martin. 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeds  throughout  the  Eastern  United  States 
to  the  foothills  of  Colorado;  west  through  Utah,  Wyoming  and 
Montana  to  Nevada,  California,  Oregon  and  Washington.  In 
British  America  from  Newfoundland  to  British  Columbia, 
north  through  the  southern  provinces  to  lat.  57°  in  Athabasca 


136  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

and  the  interior  of  British  Columbia.    Winters  in  Central  and 
South  America. 

In  Missouri  the  Kingbird  is  one  of  the  most  common  and  best 
known  summer  residents  on  cultivated  land  throughout  the  prairie 
and  Ozark  border  region,  but  much  less  common  in  the  Ozarks, 
where  chiefly  near  towns  or  farmhouses.  The  first  arrive  in  the 
more  southern  part  of  the  state  in  the  second  week  of  April,  excep- 
tionally even  in  the  central  part  (Festus,  Jefferson  Co,  April  7  and 
10;  St.  Louis,  April  10  and  14),  where  they  are  generally  not  seen 
before  the  third  week.  In  northern  Missouri  the  first  come  pretty 
regularly  during  the  fourth  week  of  the  month  or  a  few  days 
later,  seldom  earlier.  The  bulk  of  the  species  does  not  come 
before  the  last  days  of  April  in  the  southern,  and  the  first  week 
of  May  in  the  northern  part.  Transients  are  present  until  after 
the  middle  of  May,  sometimes  in  troops  of  from  20  to  30,  resemb- 
ling Robins  somewhat  when  on  wing,  or  sitting  dismally  on  fences 
along  the  roads,  when  kept  back  by  unseasonable  weather. 
After  getting  through  with  their  household  duties  they  withdraw 
from  the  breeding  grounds,  much  like  the  Martins,  and,  like 
them,  flock  in  the  evening  to  common  roosts,  preferably  willow 
thickets  along  water  courses.  Many  of  their  haunts  are  deserted 
in  July,  others  in  August,  when  the  distribution  becomes  local  and 
changeable,  which  means  that  migration  has  begun  and  our  own 
King  birds  are  joined  by  others,  themselves  departing  and  being 
replaced  by  others,  until  in  the  third  week  of  September  the  last 
are  leaving  the  state.  The  last  date  in  eight  years  at  Keokuk, 
according  to  observations  of  Mr.  E.  S.  Currier,  is  September  10, 
1893;  at  St.  Louis,  September  12,  1905;  at  Mt.  Carmel,  Sep- 
tember 17,  1885;  at  Monteer,  Shannon  Co.,  September  20, 
1903,  and  at  New  Haven,  October  1,  1902,  and  October  4, 1903; 
these  latter  dates  exceptionally  late. 

447.  TYRANNUS  VERTICALIS  Say.    Arkansas  Kingbird. 

Muscicapa  verticalis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  North  America;  breeding  from  100th 
meridian  westward  to  the  Pacific;  north  to  Assiniboia,  Alberta 
and  British  Columbia;  south  through  Lower  California  and 
western  Mexico  to  Guatemala  in  winter.  In  migration  to 
southeastern  South  Dakota  and  eastern  Nebraska.  As  a  strag- 
gler it  has  occurred  in  Iowa,  Wisconsin,  Maine,  New  York, 
New  Jersey,  Maryland,  etc. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  137 

The  only  available  records  of  its  occurrence  in  Missouri  are 
supplied  by  Mr.  Thaddeus  Surber,  who  took  one  specimen  at 
Stotesbury,  Vernon  Co.,  April  15,  1894,  and  by  Mr.  H.  Nehrling, 
who  met  with  the  species  at  Freistatt,  Lawrence  Co.,  in  the 
early  eighties  and  considered  it  fairly  common. 

*452.  MYIARCHUS  CRINITUS  (Linn.).    Crested  Flycatcher. 

Muscicapa  crinita.     Tyrannus  crinitus.     Great  Crested  Flycatcher. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  New  Brunswick, 
southern  Quebec,  Ontario  and  eastern  Manitoba;  west  to  Minne- 
sota, eastern  Nebraska,  Kansas,  Indian  Territory  and  south- 
western Texas.  Migrates  through  eastern  Mexico  to  Costa  Rica, 
Panama  and  Columbia. 

In  Missouri  a  common  summer  resident  in  all  parts  of  the  state. 
Originally  a  denizen  of  the  forest  it  is  changing  its  habits  to  con- 
form with  the  state  of  civilization  and  is  taking  up  its  abode 
in  parks,  cemeteries,  groves,  wood  patches,  orchards  and  even 
in  the  shade  trees  of  villages  and  suburbs.  Where  suitable  bird 
boxes  are  put  up,  it  accepts  them  for  nesting  sites,  and  when  the 
indispensable  snake  skin  is  wanting  it  uses  paraffine  or  tissue 
paper  to  cover  its  eggs  during  a  temporary  absence.  The  return 
from  winter  quarters  takes  place  with  great  regularity  during 
the  fourth  week  of  April,  seldom  delayed  to  the  first  week  in 
May,  when  the  species  is  usually  in  full  numbers  and  very  noisy. 
It  departs  in  fall  during  the  first  half  of  September,  the  last  being 
noticed  about  September  20  (September  21,  1885  and  1887, 
St.  Louis). 

*456.  SAYORNIS  PHOEBE  (Linn.).    Phoebe. 

Muscicapa  pJwebe.  Muscicapa  fusca.  Tyrannus  fuscus.  Muscicapa  atra. 
Tyrannula  or  Muscicapa  nunciola.  Sayomis  fuscus.  Bridge-pewee. 
Phoebe-bird. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  eastern  Mexico  and  Cuba  north  through 
Eastern  United  States  to  Newfoundland  and  the  southern  prov- 
inces of  Canada,  in  the  interior  to  56°  30'  lat. ;  west  to  Alberta 
and  in  the  United  States  to  eastern  Nebraska,  eastern  Kansas, 
rarely  to  Wyoming  and  Colorado.  Breeds  from  South  Carolina 
and  Arkansas  northward  and  winters  from  the  South  Atlantic 
and  Gulf  States  southward. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  summer  resident,  breeding  in  all 
parts  of  the  state,  as  far  south  as  the  southern  border,  but  more 


138  Trans.  Acad.  Sri.  of  St.  Louis. 

common  northward.  In  the  more  southern  part  of  the  state 
the  first  Phoebes  are  heard  in  the  last  week  of  February,  not  only  in 
the  southeast,  but  also  in  the  Ozarks  (February  28,  1903,  Salem, 
Dent  Co.,  Mr.  F.  C.  Pellet)  (February  29, 1904,  Monteer,  Shannon 
Co.,  Mr.  W.  G.  Savage).  In  the  neighborhood  of  St.  Louis  the 
earliest  males  arrive  on  their  accustomed  stands  during  the  first 
week  of  March,  but  often  bad  weather  makes  them  very  miserable 
and  they  have  to  wait  from  three  to  six  and  more  days  for  their 
mates  to  join  them,  so  that  it  is  usually  not  far  from  the  middle 
of  March  before  the  species  becomes  readily  observable  in  its 
old  haunts.  In  exceptionally  inclement  March  weather  as  in 
1906  the  Phoebe  can  not  be  expected  before  April,  when,  in  ordi- 
nary seasons,  it  is  laying  eggs  (first  egg  March  31,  1903,  Mont- 
gomery City;  April  1,  1904,  St.  Louis).  North  of  latitude  39° 
the  absence  of  uniformity  in  our  March  weather  is  clearly  reflected 
in  the  great  diversity  in  the  dates  of  first  arrivals,  varying  at 
Keokuk  between  March  6,  1894,  and  April  2,  1895,  in  a  series 
of  observations  during  thirteen  years  (1892  to  1904  incl.)  by 
Mr.  E.  S.  Currier.  Mostly  silent  and  retiring  in  autumn,  their 
departure  is  not  so  easily  noticed  as  their  arrival  in  spring,  which 
they  announce  loudly  and  with  much  constancy  for  hours  at  a 
time.  Temporary  conspicuousness  is  observable  on  fine  October 
days,  which  probably  means  the  presence  of  transient  visitant 
resting  only  for  a  day  or  two.  The  last  are  noted  during  the 
second  half  of  October,  even  in  the  more  southern  part  of  the 
state.  Latest  for  Keokuk,  October  16,  1900:  for  St.  Louis, 
October  27,  1885. 

457.  SAYORNIS  SAYA  (Bonap.).    Say's  Phoebe. 

Muscicapa  saya.     Sayornis  sayus. 

Geog.  Dist.— Western  United  States  from  the  Pacific  to  the 
Plains,  and  from  southern  Mexico  to  the  Arctic  circle.  Common 
in  western  Kansas,  Nebraska  and  the  Dakotas.  Said  to  extend 
its  range  eastward. 

Was  reported  once  from  Butler,  Bates  Co.,  by  Mr.  Harvey 
Clark  in  1886,  and  has  occurred  in  southeastern  Nebraska, 
Iowa,  Wisconsin  and  Illinois  as  an  accidental  visitor. 

459.  NUTT ALLORNIS  BORE ALIS  (Swains.).   Olive-sided  Flycatcher. 

Tyrannus  borealis.     Contopus  borealis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeds  from  the  mountains  and  northern  parts 
of  the  United  States  north  to  Athabaska  and  southern  Keewatin, 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  139 

and  from  Nova  Scotia  to  the  Pacific.     In  winter  to  Central  and 
northern  South  America  as  far  as  Peru. 

In  Missouri  an  irregularly,  or  fairly,  common  transient  visitant 
from  the  second  week  of  May  to  the  first  of  June  (June  2,  1907, 
St.  Louis)  and  in  fall  from  August  20  to  the  middle  of  September. 
Most  of  the  notes  on  this  species  have  been  made  on  the  bluffs 
and  in  the  bottoms  along  the  Mississippi  River,  but  it  has  also 
been  met  with  in  the  southeast  on  the  St.  Francis  River, 
in  the  Ozarks  at  Galena,  Stone  Co.,  and  has  been  reported  from 
the  western  border,  Jasper  Co.,  by  Mr.  Savage.  To  one  who  is 
familiar  with  its  habit  of  perching  on  the  highest  tree  tops,  or 
who  is  acquainted  with  its  peculiar,  far-reaching  whist1  e,  its 
presence  cannot  easily  escape  notice  especially  in  spring  when, 
retained  by  cold  nights  or  strong  northerly  winds,  it  remains  at 
the  same  place  several  days.  Its  stops  in  autumn  seem  to  be 
shorter  and  less  observable,  because  so  early  in  the  season, 
when  the  trees  are  yet  covered  with  foliage  and  insects  most 
plentiful. 

*461  •CONTOPUS  VIRENS  (Linn.).    Wood  Pewee. 

Muscicapa    virens.     Muscicapa    rapax.     Muscicapa    querula.     Tyrannula 
virens. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America;  breeds  from  the  Gulf 
coast  to  Newfoundland  and  southern  Canada ;  west  to  Manitoba, 
eastern  Nebraska,  eastern  Kansas,  and  Texas  south  to  the  moun- 
tains of  Orizaba.  In  winter  through  eastern  Mexico  and  Hon- 
duras to  Columbia  and  Ecuador. 

In  Missouri  one  of  the  common  and  most  generally  distributed 
birds  in  all  kinds  of  woods,  high  and  low,  dry  and  wet,  and,  where 
these  are  wanting,  resorting  to  orchards,  parks,  cemeteries  and 
the  larger  gardens  in  towns  and  suburbs.  The  first  Wood 
Pewees  arrive  in  southeast  Missouri  as  early  as  April  20,  in  central 
Missouri  April  28,  and  in  the  northern  tier  of  counties  between 
the  4th  and  the  12th  of  May.  They  leave  the  state  in  the  latter 
part  of  September,  but  stragglers  linger  into  October  and  the  last 
depart  between  October  8  and  15.  Transient  visitants,  indicated 
by  the  presence  of  unusually  large  numbers,  have  been  noticed 
about  the  middle  of  May  and  in  the  fourth  week  of  September. 
Though  the  forerunners  reach  St.  Louis  at  the  end  of  April,  the 
species  does  not  become  common  and  generally  distributed 
before  the  fifth  of  May  and  in  the  more  northern  part  of  the 
state  before  the  middle  of  the  month. 


140  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

463.    EMPIDONAX    FLAVIVENTRIS    Baird.     Yellow-bellied    Fly- 
catcher. 

Tyrannula  flaviventris. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America;  breeds  from  Massachu- 
setts northward  to  Newfoundland  and  southern  Labrador,  and 
west  through  densely  forested  regions  to  Manitoba.  In  winter 
through  eastern  Mexico  to  Panama. 

In  eastern  Missouri  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant  from  May 
5  to  June  1  (exceptionally  later,  as  in  1907  to  June  4)  and  from 
August  25  to  September  20.  There  is  only  one  record  from 
western  Missouri,  that  of  W.  E.  D.  Scott,  who  took  a  specimen  at 
Warrensburg,  May  18,  1874.  All  other  observations  on  the 
species  were  made  along  the  eastern  edge  of  the  state  from 
Keokuk  to  the  southern  state  line  and  in  the  southeast  west  to 
Carter  Co.,  where  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff  took  a  specimen  at  Grandin, 
May  16,  1907.  The  fact  that  it  has  not  been  reported  from 
other  localities  is  no  proof  that  it  does  not  occur,  but  the  species 
easily  eludes  detection,  being  late  in  transit  when  vegetation 
is  already  luxuriant  and  confining  itself  to  dense  shrubbery.  It 
is  most  commonly  found  in  low  situations,  willow  thickets  in  the 
flood  plains  and  shrubbery  along  creeks  of  the  bluff  region,  but 
in  the  height  of  migration  it  is  often  found  in  parks  and  gardens, 
orchards  and  hedge-rows.  Although  usually  silent,  its  peculiar 
call-note,  different  from  those  of  the  other  eastern  members  of 
the  genus,  is  sometimes  heard  toward  the  end  of  its  stay. 

*465.  EMPIDONAX    VIRESCENS     (VieilL).      Green-crested    Fly- 
catcher. 

Empidonax  acadicus.     Muscicapa  querula.     Tyrannus  acadicus.     Acadian 
Flycatcher. 

Geog.  Dist. —  Eastern  United  States,  north  to  southern  New 
York  and  southern  Michigan;  west  to  Nebraska,  eastern  Kansas 
and  Texas.  Winters  in  Central  America,  Cuba  and  Yucatan. 

In  Missouri  a  common  and  generally  distributed  summer 
resident  from  April  28  to  September  25.  Of  the  four  species  of 
this  genus  occurring  in  Missouri  this  is  by  far  the  most  com- 
mon, because  found  in  all  parts  of  the  state  wherever  the  axe  has 
spared  enough  trees  to  leave  at  least  a  semblance  of  a  forest. 
Unlike  its  relatives,  the  Wood  Pewee  and  Great  Crested,  the 
Acadian  has  not  yet  learned  to  feel  at  home  anywhere  else  but 
in  the  forest  itself  and,  if  it  does  not  yield  soon,  general  defor- 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  141 

estation  will  be  the  death-blow  to  this  and  a  number  of  other 
woodland  species  equally  obdurate  and  inaccessible  to  civiliza- 
tion. 

*466.  EMPIDONAX  TRAILLII  Aud..    TrailFs  Flycatcher. 

Muscicapa    traillii.     Empidonax    pusillus    traillii.     Empidonax    pusillus. 
Little  Flycatcher. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  North  America  from  Ohio,  Illinois  and 
Michigan  to  the  Pacific,  and  from  Sitka  and  the  Mackenzie  River 
south  into  Mexico.  Winters  south  of  the  United  States. 

As  a  fairly  common  summer  resident  the  Traill's  Flycatcher 
has  a  peculiar  distribution  in  Missouri.  It  inhabits  the  entire 
prairie  region  of  northern  and  western  Missouri,  enters  the  Ozark 
border  subregion  in  Newton,  Lawrence  and  Greene  counties, 
and  follows  the  Mississippi  River  flood  plain  south  at  least  as  far 
as  Ste.  Genevieve  Co.  It  is  not  found  in  the  Ozarks  nor  in  the 
lowland  of  the  southeast.  In  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis  it  arrives 
with  great  regularity  on  the  fourth  or  fifth  day  of  May,  seldom 
earlier  (April  29,  1884).  At  Keokuk,  May  11,  1902  (Currier). 
It  is  still  numerous  in  the  second  week  of  September,  probably 
joined  by  transients,  but  disappears  about  September  25,  rarely 
later  (October  4,  1905,  St.  Louis).  Its  original  haunts  are  the 
trees  bordering  rivers,  creeks  and  lakes,  or  clumps  of  willows  in 
swampy  places,  but  being  a  quick  and  wide-awake  bird  it  was 
not  slow  in  accommodating  itself  to  human  surroundings  and  is 
now  at  home  in  city  parks  and  cemeteries,  in  orchards  and  the 
fringe  of  trees  and  shrubs  along  frequented  country  roads.  One 
would  expect  to  find  a  species  with  such  a  happy  adaptive  faculty 
spreading  rapidly  with  deforestation  and  cultivation,  but  this  has 
not  been  the  case  during  the  past  twenty-five  years  and  there  is 
no  visible  increase  in  their  numbers.  The  only  explanation  for 
this  is  the  careless  manner  in  which  they,  place  their  nests  in 
exposed  positions  with  no  thought  of  concealment,  and  the  late- 
ness of  their  nesting,  which  does  not  allow  a  second  attempt 
when  the  first  has  been  unsuccessful. 

466a.  EMPIDONAX  TRAILLII  ALNORUM  Brewst.  Alder  Flycatcher. 

Empidonax  pusillus  traittii.     Empidonax  traillii.     Tyrannus  traitti. 

Geog.  Dist. —  Eastern  North  America  from  New  England  and 
Newfoundland  to  Alaska,  and  in  the  United  States  found  as  far 
west  as  western  Nebraska.  Winters  in  Central  America. 


142  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

There  is  little  doubt  that  this  subspecies  occurs  in  our  state 
in  its  passage  from  summer  to  winter  quarters  and  vice  versa, 
but  it  remains  to  be  shown  to  what  extent,  since  the  two  sub- 
species cannot  be  distinguished  with  certainty  without  the  use 
of  compasses.  Since  the  above  was  written  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff 
captured  a  female  Flycatcher  at  Grandin,  Carter  Co.,  which 
Dr.  J.  A.  Allen  and  Dr.  Jno.  D wight  identified  as  belonging  to 
this  subspecies. 

467.  EMPIDONAX  MINIMUS  Baird.      Least  Flycatcher. 

Tyrannula  minima.     Chebeck. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  west  to  Colorado,  Utah, 
Wyoming,  Montana  and  Alberta;  north  to  Newfoundland, 
Oxford  Lake,  Keewatin  and  Fort  Simpson,  Mackenzie.  Breeds 
from  North  Carolina,  northern  Ohio  and  Indiana,  Nebraska  and 
Wyoming  northward.  Winters  in  Central  America  and  Panama. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant  from  April  28 
to  the  third,  seldom  to  the  fourth,  week  of  May  (June  3,  1907, 
St.  Louis).  A  few  days  earlier  in  the  south  (Shannon  Co., 
April  24,  1904,  W.  G.  Savage);  a  few  days  later  in  the  north 
(April  28  to  May  5,  Keokuk,  E.  S.  Currier).  In  fall  migration 
from  August  24  to  the  middle  of  October  (October  14,  1885, 
St.  Louis;  October  20,  1902,  Jasper  Co.,  Savage).  As  Mr.  Chas. 
K.  Worthen  has  taken  this  species  during  the  breeding  season  at 
Warsaw,  111.,  it  may  be  found  to  be  a  rare  breeder  in  the  most 
northern  part  of  Missouri.  Mr.  T.  M.  Trippe  mentions  it  as 
breeding  in  large  numbers  in  Mahasca  Co.,  Iowa,  in  1872. 

Suborder  Oscines.     Song  Birds. 

Family  ALAUDIDAE.    Larks. 
474.  OTOCORIS  ALPESTRIS  (Linn.).    Horned  Lark. 

Alauda    alpestris.     Eremophila    alpestris.     Alauda    cornuta.     Eremophila 
cornuta.     Shore  Lark.     Snow  Lark. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northeastern  North  America,  Greenland  and 
Old  World.  In  winter  south  in  United  States  to  the  Carolinas, 
Illinois,  Iowa,  Nebraska. 

The  status  of  the  different  kinds  of  Horned  Larks  found  in 
Missouri  in  winter  needs  further  investigation  and  corroboration 
of  the  statement  that  this  subspecies  is  a  winter  visitant  in  the 


Widman  — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  143 

state.  Flocks  of  Horned  Larks  seen  in  winter  on  the  sand  bars 
of  the  Mississippi  opposite  St.  Louis  were  apparently  of  this 
larger  and  darker  form.  Mr.  E.  S.  Currier  says  that  it  appears 
in  December  at  Keokuk  and  is  seen  off  and  on  until  early 
February  and  that  the  Prairie  Horned  Lark  seems  to  be  absent 
or  scarce  during  that  period.  Mr.  Sidney  S.  Wilson  gives  me 
the  following  dates  for  this  subspecies  at  St.  Joseph:  February 
22,  1896,  twenty;  February  15,  again  seen;  February  21, 
bulk  present;  April  4,  last;  adding  that  there  were  a  few 
Prairie  Horned  Larks  with  them. 

*474b.     OTOCORIS     ALPESTRIS     PRATICOLA    Hensh.        Prairie 
Horned  Lark. 
EremophUa  alpestris  praticola.     Prairie  Lark.     Horned  Lark. 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeds  from  eastern  Kansas,  eastern  Nebraska 
and  Manitoba  eastward  to  New  England  and  eastern  Quebec. 
In  winter  withdrawing  from  northern  regions,  and  extending 
its  range  to  Texas,  Louisiana,  South  Carolina,  etc. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  resident  in  all  parts  on  cultivated 
ground,  high  and  low,  not  only  in  the  prairie  and  Ozark  border 
region,  but  in  the  cleared  tracts  of  the  Ozarks  themselves  and  in 
the  marshes  of  the  flood  plains  of  the  large  rivers.  Small  troops, 
sometimes  in  company  with  Lapland  Longspurs,  wander  about 
in  search  of  food,  resorting  to  the  bare  wind-swept  hillsides 
when  the  ground  elsewhere  is  covered  with  snow.  When  the 
snow  becomes  too  deep,  or  when  sleet  and  ice  crusts  bury  every- 
thing, hunger  drives  them  to  the  farms  and  highways  which  they 
follow  into  villages,  towns  and  cities.  They  are  most  conspicuous 
late  in  February  and  March,  their  time  of  mating  and  nest- 
building,  when  their  queer  song  is  in  the  air  for  many  minutes 
at  a  time,  and  again  when  the  youngsters  are  brought  to  the 
country  roads  and  are  taught  the  advantages  of  the  dust  bath. 

[474.k.    OTOCORIS  ALPESTRIS    HOYTI  Bishop.     Hoyt's  Horned 

Lark.] 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeds  from  Hudson  Bay  to  the  Mackenzie 
River  and  south  to  Lake  Athabasca.  Migrates  to  Nevada, 
Utah,  Kansas,  Nebraska,  Wisconsin,  Iowa,  Michigan,  casually 
to  Ohio  and  New  York. 

As  this  lately  separated  large  pale  subspecies  has  been  taken 
at  different  places  in  eastern  Nebraska,  it  may  be  presumed  that 


144  Trans.  A  cad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

it  also  visits  our  state  in  winter  and  should  be  looked  for  especially 
in  the  north wesern  part. 

Family  CORVIDAE.  Crows,  Jays,  Magpies,  etc. 

Subfamily  Garrulinae.  Magpies  and  Jays. 
475.  PICA  PICA  HUDSONICA  (Sab.).    American  Magpie. 

Corvus  pica.     Pica  hudsonica.     Pica  melanoleuca.     Pica  caudata  hudsonica. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  and  northern  North  America;  east  to 
Lake  Winnipeg,  western  Nebraska  and  eastern  Colorado;  west 
to  the  Cascade  Mountains ;  in  the  north  through  western  Assin- 
iboa,  Alberta  and  British  Columbia  to  Alaska ;  south  to  western 
Texas,  New  Mexico  and  Arizona.  Non-migratory,  except  in 
the  far  North.  Formerly  in  winter  to  Kansas,  eastern  Nebraska, 
Iowa,  Wisconsin,  Michigan  and  Ontario,  but  range  and  numbers 
are  greatly  reduced  through  constant  persecution  by  hunters 
and  ranchmen  who  consider  them  a  nuisance. 

There  is  a  record  by  L.  W.  Corder  of  Waverly,  Mo.,  one  of  the 
observers  of  bird  migration,  in  his  report  to  the  Department  of 
Agriculture,  stating  that  he  saw  four  Magpies  November  1, 
1890,  in  Saline  Co.,  Mo.  Indications  are  not  wanting  that  Mag- 
pies formerly  extended  their  wanderings,  at  least  in  some  winters, 
as  far  south  as  Missouri.  Mr.  Heiser  of  Keokuk  has  a  mounted 
specimen  which  he  shot  many  years  ago  in  winter  near  the 
Des  Moines  River  not  far  from  the  state  line.  Audubon  men- 
tions in  his  journal  two  caged  Magpies  at  Fort  Croghan,  near 
the  present  site  of  Omaha,  May  10, 1843,  said  to  have  been  caught 
in  nooses  by  the  legs.  In  1885,  Mr.  G.  S.  Agersborg  of  Alda, 
southeastern  South  Dakota,  writes  (Auk  vol.  2,  p.  282):  "This 
bird,  which  was  formerly  very  common  here  in  winter,  frequent- 
ing trappers'  camps  and  farmyards,  has  within  the  last  four 
years  entirely  disappeared."  It  is  said  to  have  been  taken  in 
Shawnee  Co.,  eastern  Kansas,  in  October  (Snow,  1873). 

*477.  CYANOCITTA  CRISTATA  (Linn.).    Blue  Jay. 

Corvus  cristatus.     Garridus  cristatus.     Cyanurus  cristatus.     Jay  Bird. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America  to  western  Nebraska 
and  western  Manitoba,  and  from  the  Gulf  to  Newfoundland 
and  Hudson  Bay;  northwestward  to  Athabasca  River  and  Al- 
berta. Winters  from  the  Northwest  Territories  and  Cape 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.   145 

Breton  Island  southward  to  the  Gulf  coast,  but  most  of  them 
withdraw  from  our  northern  states  and  even  from  Missouri. 

A  common  summer  resident  in  all  parts  of  Missouri,  more 
abundant  in  villages  and  towns  than  in  the  forest.  Also  a  fairly 
common  winter  resident,  and  a  very  numerous  transient  visitant 
in  spring  and  fall.  The  regular  passage  through  our  state  of 
large  numbers  of  Blue  Jays  from  summer  to  winter  quarters  and 
vice  versa  is  of  special  interest,  because  performed  in  daytime, 
showing  us  how  land  birds  wander.  Contrary  to  some  theories 
these  Blue  Jays  do  not  follow  certain  highways,  as  for  instance 
the  flood  plain  of  the  Mississippi  River,  but  many  minor  routes 
amounting  almost  to  a  broad  front.  It  is  true  that  many  flocks 
follow  each  other  over  the  very  same  ground,  resting  on  the  same 
trees  and  crossing  the  Missouri  River  at  the  very  same  point, 
but  there  are  such  routes  in  every  county  of  the  state.  The 
route  along  the  Mississippi  River  bluffs  and  bottom  may  be  one 
of  the  most  frequented,  but  routes  do  not  necessarily  follow  any 
river  and  lead  straight  across  the  hills  of  the  Ozarks.  The 
migration  of  northbound  Blue  Jays  begins  in  some  years  as 
early  as  April  11,  but  usually  after  the  20th  and  becomes  brisk 
toward  the  end  of  the  month,  continuing  through  the  first  week 
of  May,  but  ceases  after  the  10th  or  12th  of  the  month.  At 
this  time  even  the  last  of  our  own  birds,  those  of  the  second 
year,  are  paired  and  building. 

In  fall  south  bound  flocks  pass  from  the  beginning  of  the 
fourth  week  in  September  to  the  middle  of  October.  Flocks  are 
of  variable  size,  from  20  to  60  birds,  and  are  on  wing  chiefly  in 
the  forenoon  between  eight  and  eleven,  in  spring  between  six 
and  ten,  less  often  in  the  afternoon  between  three  and  five. 
They  are  perfectly  silent  when  flying,  but  when  alighting  are 
greeted  by  our  resident  Blue  Jays,  and  a  great  noise  results. 
Though  only  a  small  percentage  of  our  summer  residents  are 
true  permanent  residents,  those  that  have  spent  the  winter  away 
from  home  have  all  returned  before  the  last  northerners  pass 
through.  Blue  Jays  cannot  stand  much  zero  and  below  zero 
weather;  they  freeze  the  toes  badly  in  severe  winters,  learning 
thereby  a  lesson  which  they  bear  well  in  mind  the  following  fall, 
leaving  early.  The  more  exposed  woods  are  largely  deserted 
when  the  trees  are  bare  early  in  November  and  do  not  become 
populated  again  before  the  winter  is  over.  This  is  indeed  a  very 
unstable  time,  oscillating  between  the  middle  of  February  and  the 
middle  of  April.  After  an  unusually  cold  late  winter,  as  that  of 


146  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

1906,  when  we  had  the  coldest  March  in  history  with  an  average 
temperature  of  33°,  i.  e.,  ten  degrees  below  the  lowest  average  in 
thirty  years,  Blue  Jays  did  not  become  common  at  their  breeding 
stands  before  the  middle  of  April.  In  exceptionally  mild  winters 
old  pairs  have  announced  their  return  in  the  middle  of  February. 
In  ordinary  seasons  the  first  nests  are  finished  early  in  April 
and  when  the  northern  transients  and  birds  of  the  second  year 
appear  on  the  scene,  our  birds,  occupied  with  domestic  duties 
and  therefore  quiet  and  retiring,  contrast  sharply  with  the 
bustling,  restless  troops.  In  June  and  early  July  we  sometimes 
see  them  feed  grown  young  and  build  again  at  the  same  time, 
which  means  that  they  intend  to  breed  a  second  time.  By  the 
middle  of  July  the  birds  of  the  first  brood  are  fully  grown  and 
have  begun  to  play  a  conspicuous  part  as  noise  makers  in  the 
otherwise  quiet  woods.  Throughout  August  and  September 
to  the  middle  of  October  there  is  no  species  of  birds  more  promi- 
nent, oftener  seen  or  heard,  than  the  Blue  Jay.  After  September 
21,  they  are  more  restless  than  before  and  it  becomes  evident 
that  some  change  is  going  on ;  some  days  they  are  quiet  and  few, 
then  again  noisy  and  numerous.  After  the  first  of  November 
we  have  to  go  to  the  sheltered  river  bottoms  and  to  the  heavily 
wooded  southeast,  if  we  want  to  see  them  Jin  larger  numbers  or 
noisy  troops;  those  that  stay  near  their  breeding  grounds  are 
then  quiet  and  circumspect,  though  for  reasons  of  security  and 
provender  frequenting  the  environs  of  human  habitations  and 
therefore  appearing  more  numerous  than  they  really  are. 

Subfamily  Corvidae.    Crows. 
*486.  CORVUS  COR  AX  SINUATUS  (WagL).    American  Raven. 

Corvus    sinuatus.      Corvus   cacaLoti.     Corvus    corax.      Corvus    carnivorus. 
Mexican  Raven. 

pGeog.  Dist. — Western  United  States,  Mexico,  Guatemala, 
northern  Honduras;  east  to  southern  Indiana,  southern  Illinois, 
Missouri,  Nebraska,  Kansas,  Wyoming  and  Colorado.  Now 
rare  or  extinct  in  all  settled  parts  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
In  Missouri  formerly  a  permanent  resident  nesting  on  the  cliffs 
along  the  rivers.  Audubon  mentions  seeing  several  Ravens, 
May  7,  1843,  near  the  northeast  corner  of  the  state.  Prince  of 
Wied  met  with  them  near  the  same  place,  May  1,  1833.  Dr. 
Hoy  has  the  Raven  in  his  list,  made  in  1854  in  western  Missouri, 
and  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen  found  it  "apparently  common"  in  1872. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  147 

From  the  cliffs  in  the  vicinity  of  New  Haven  they  disappeared 
in  1881  according  to  Dr.  A.  F.  Eimbeck.  The  last  record  of 
their  breeding  in  Missouri  comes  from  Hahatonka,  Camden  Co., 
where  Mr.  Philo  W.  Smith,  Jr.  secured  five  eggs,  slightly  incu- 
bated, April  5,  1901.  He  writes:  "The  nest  was  about  one  mile 
from  Hahatonka  on  a  shelf  of  rock,  a  mere  platform  of  sticks, 
with  strips  of  bark,  corn  husks,  a  little  hair,  etc.  There  were  as 
near  as  I  could  judge  about  six  pairs  of  birds.,  I  think  this  is 
the  same  colony  of  Ravens  that  nested  a  few  years  before  near 
Vienna  on  the  Gasconade  and  which  I  made  two  unsuccessful 
trips  to  locate." 

[486a.  CORVUS  CORAX  PRINCIPALIS  Ridgw.     Northern  Raven.] 

Corvus  corax.     Corvus  corax  var.  carnivorus.     Corvus  carnivorus.     Ameri- 
can Raven. 

Geog.  Dist. — Arctic  and  Boreal  provinces  of  North  America; 
south  to  western  and  northern  Washington,  Great  Lakes,  New 
England  and  higher  Alleghanies.  According  to  Mr.  R.  Ridgway 
the  status  of  the  Ravens  breeding  east  of  the  Great  Plains  and 
south  of  the  Great  Lakes  has,  for  lack  of  material,  not  been  fully 
determined.  It  is  possible  that  they  form  the  connecting  link 
and  may  therefore  be  placed  in  either  of  the  two  subspecies. 

Mr.  M.  P.  Lientz  of  Fayette,  Howard  Co.,  reported  to  the 
Department  of  Agriculture  in  the  early  eighties  that  the  Raven 
was  once  numerous  but  then  rare.  Mr.  W.  E.  Praeger  writes, 
that  there  is  a  specimen  in  the  collection  of  Mr.  Heiser,  druggist 
at  Keokuk,  which  was  shot  many  years  ago  near  Hamilton,  Ills., 
opposite  Keokuk.  On  October  23,  1892,  Mr.  F.  M.  Woodruff 
of  the  Chicago  Academy  of  Science  took  a  typical  example  of  this 
subspecies  at  Meredosia,  111.,  less  than  fifty  miles  from  our  state 
line. 

*488.    CORVUS    BRACK YRHYNCHOS    C.  L.    Brehm.      American 
Crow. 

Corvus  americanus.     Corvus  corone.     Corvus  frugivorus.     Crow. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America  to  southern  border  of  United 
States  (except  Florida  in  summer);  north  to  Newfoundland 
and  Magdalen  Islands,  Nelson  River  and  lower  Anderson  River. 

In  Missouri  a  common  resident  on  all  cultivated  land,  but 
shunning  deep  forests  and  therefore  rare  in  the  Ozarks  and  the 
southeast.  Constant  warfare  with  gun  and  poison  has  greatly 


148  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

thinned  its  ranks  during  the  last  twenty  years.  We  still  call  it 
a  common  summer  resident,  only  because  its  size,  color  and  mode 
of  living  in  the  open  make  it  possible  that  not  a  single  individual 
escapes  notice.  A  like  number  of  a  small,  plain  colored,  secretive 
species  would  constitute  one  of  our  rarest  breeders.  Lately  their 
killing  for  millinery  purposes  has  been  openly  recommended 
by  newspapers  as  a  source  of  revenue,  and  whenever  the  pleasure 
of  killing  can  be  made  remunerative  devotees  are  not  lacking. 
As  a  winter  resident  the  Crow  is  still  numerous,  but  not  nearly  as 
much  as  formerly.  There  are  many  winter  roosts,  large  and  small, 
scattered  over  the  state.  Formerly  when  St.  Louis  dumped  all 
its  refuse  and  garbage  into  the  Mississippi,  the  roost  on  Arsenal 
Island  opposite  the  southern  part  of  the  city  was  one  of  the  most 
frequented  in  the  whole  country.  Hundreds  of  thousands  assem- 
bled there  in  some  winters,  chiefly  in  November  and  December, 
until  the  closing  of  the  river  drove  most  of  them  farther  south 
below  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  where  the  Mississippi  never  closes. 
As  long  as  the  river  was  open  the  Crows  were  not  in  want  of 
provisions  even  when  the  ground  was  buried  under  snow,  and  it 
was  a  spectacle  never  to  be  forgotten  to  see  hundreds  of  crows 
dotting  the  icy  shore  or  drifting  down  on  huge  cakes  of  ice,  all 
eagerly  looking  out  for  floating  morsels  which  they  picked  up 
cleverly  and  carried  to  the  shore.  Those  that  had  drifted  down 
far  enough  came  flying  back  low  above  the  water,  to  take  another 
floating  position  higher  up.  All  together  they  made  a  most  ani- 
mated picture.  When  little  or  no  snow  was  on  the  ground, 
a  state  of  affairs  which  may  be  called  the  rule  in  our  region,  Crows 
had  no  difficuty  in  finding  enough  to  eat,  but  they  had  to  go  many 
miles  for  it  and  visit  fields  and  woods  and  pastures  and  sundry 
places  in  search  of  mice  and  carrion,  waste  grain  and  insects, 
dead  or  alive,  and  seeds  of  all  kinds,  acorns  and  whatever  is  scat- 
tered about.  Crows  are  omnivorus  and  most  beneficial  scav- 
engers in  their  winter  haunts.  They  began  to  come  to  the  island 
roost  early  in  September,  and  real  migration  set  in  early  in 
October  with  steadily  increasing  numbers  until  the  middle  of 
November,  when  about  the  maximum  frequency  was  reached 
and  maintained  until  either  ice  and  snow  shut  off  their  food  supply 
or  mild  and  open  weather  awakened  the  desire  to  return  to  their 
summer  home.  All  through  fall  and  in  moderately  cold  weather  in 
winter,  the  Crows  spent  the  nights  perched  ten  to  fifteen  feet  above 
the  ground  in  the  willow  thicket  of  the  island,  but  when  the  cold 
became  intense  they  deserted  the  willows  entirely  and  spent  the 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  149 

nights  on  the  snow-covered  sand  bank  in  front  of  the  willow 
thicket  and  exposed  to  the  fierce  northwest  and  north  wind. 
When  they  had  gone  in  the  early  morning,  every  bird  had 
left  the  imprint  of  its  body  in  the  form  of  a  light  de- 
pression in  the  snow  with  a  hole  in  front  made  by  the  bill 
and  a  few  heaps  of  excreta  on  the  opposite  side,  showing  the  bird 
had  spent  all  night  in  that  position,  always  with  the  head  turned 
toward  the  wind,  letting  the  wind  sweep  over  its  back,  but  keeping 
the  feet  from  freezing.  The  exodus  from  the  roost  in  the  early 
morning  and  the  influx  in  the  afternoon  was  always  a  source  of 
great  delight  to  the  lover  of  animated  Nature  as  it  is  one  of  the 
most  imposing  sights  imaginable.  The  Crow  with  all  its  real 
arid  alleged  faults  would  be  sadly  missed  by  all  who  have  the 
gift  of  looking  above  dollars  and  cents  in  the  search  of  happiness 
and  find  it  in  the  admiration  of  animated  Nature,  not  a  small 
part  of  which  we  owe  to  this  graceful,  interesting  ornament  of 
any  and  every  sort  of  landscape. 

491.  NUCIFRAGA  COLUMBIANA  (Wils.).    Clarke's  Nutcracker. 

Corvus  Columbian.^.     Picicorvus  columbianus.     Clarke's  Crow. 

Geog.  Dist. — Coniferous  forests  of  western  North  America 
from  New  Mexico,  Arizona  and  northern  Lower  California  to 
northwestern  Alaska.  Accidental  in  South  Dakota,  Nebraska, 
Kansas,  Missouri  and  Arkansas. 

In  vol.  12  of  the  Auk  Mr.  John  A.  Bryant  of  Kansas  City, 
Mo.,  reports  the  capture  of  a  fine  adult  bird  killed  about  October 
28,  1894,  four  miles  east  of  Kansas  City.  The  Arkansas  record 
is  from  Earl,  Crittendon-Co.,  less  than  twenty  miles  from  the 
Mississippi  River  and  eighty  miles  south  of  our  state  line;  the 
bird  was  taken  April  1,  1891.  The  Kansas  record  is  from  Mar- 
shall Co.,  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  state,  August  13,  1888. 
There  is  also  a  record  from  Omaha,  Neb.,  and  another  from  Alda 
in  southeastern  South  Dakota,  October,  1883,  but  all/should 
be  considered  purely  accidental  visitants. 

Family  ICTERIDAE.    Blackbirds,  Orioles,  etc. 
*494.  DOLICHONYXORYZIVORUS  (Linn.).   Bobolink. 

Fringilla  oryzivora.     Emberiza  oryzivora.     Reedbird.     Ricebird. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America;  west  to  Utah,  northeast- 
ern Nevada,  Idaho  and  southeastern  British  Columbia ;  |north 


150  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

to  40°  lat.  on  the  Atlantic  coast  and  to  52°  lat.  in  the  interior. 
Breeds  from  Pennsylvania,  northwestern  West  Virginia,  central 
Ohio,  central  Indiana,  northern  Illinois,  northern  Missouri, 
Nebraska  and  Utah  northward.  Migrates  through  West  Indies, 
Yukatan,  Central  America  to  South  America  as  far  as  Paraguay, 
southern  Brazil,  Bolivia,  etc.,  also  Galapagos  and  Bermudas. 

In  Missouri  the  Bobolink  is  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant 
throughout  the  state,  except  the  heavily  wooded  parts,  though 
not  an  entire  stranger  even  in  the  narrow  valleys  of  the  Ozarks. 
In  fact  the  numbers  which  pass  through  Missouri  are  much  larger 
than  it  would  appear  to  those  not  initiated,  because  they  are  not 
scattered  broadcast  over  the  territory,  but  migrate  in  small 
flocks  and  visit  only  certain  favorite  meadows  in  which  they 
are  easily  overlooked  when  feeding  silently  on  the  ground. 
The  forerunners,  usually  males,  appearing  in  the  last  week  of 
April,  are  sometimes  kept  back  by  adverse  weather  several 
days,  but  the  bulk  of  the  species  passes  through  when  the  weather 
is  not  as  changeable  as  earlier  in  the  season,  thus  permitting 
a  rapid  advance  without  long  stop-overs.  The  largest  flocks 
are  met  with  the  second  and  third  weeks  of  May;  at  first  mostly 
males  are  seen,  then  mixed  flocks,  and  at  last  flocks  in  which 
the  females  predominate.  In  some  years  all  are  gone  soon  after 
the  middle  of  May,  in  others  not  before  the  last  of  the  month. 
The  noticing  of  their  passage  in  autumn  is  still  more  a  matter 
of  initiation  than  that  of  their  spring  migration.  In  spring  there 
are  always  moments  when  the  whole  or  part  of  the  flock  fly 
up  from  their  breeding  grounds,  alight  in  a  tree  and  give  expres- 
sion to  their  feelings  by  an  outburst  of  music;  or  musically 
inclined  individuals  pass  by,  going  north,  singing  as  they  go. 
In  autumn  music  is  heard  only  very  exceptionally  and  just  as 
rarely  do  we  see  a  male  partly  clothed  in  its  summer  dress; 
the  fashion  at  this  time  is  the  conventional  traveling  dress,  in 
which  it  easily  passes  for  something  else.  It  is  the  peculiar 
"pink,  pink"  that  betrays  its  presence  when,  high  in  air,  it  is 
passing  south,  or  changing  from  its  feeding  grounds  in  the  fields 
beyond  the  bluffs  to  the  common  roost  in  the  grasses  of  the 
marsh,  where  it  spends  the  nights  in  company  with  different 
kinds  of  Swallows  and  marsh  loving  members  of  the  Blackbird 
family.  August  20  is  about  the  time  when  the  marshes  of 
northern  Missouri  see  the  Bobolinks  flock  in  at  night  to  roost, 
and  it  takes  the  species  a  whole  month  to  leave  that  part  of  the 
country,  the  last  date  for  St.  Charles  Co.  being  September  24. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  151 

Records  of  its  breeding  are  few  and  we  must  for  the  present 
consider  the  species  a  rare  summer  resident  in  northern  Missouri 
only.  Mr.  Currier  knows  of  its  nesting  in  Clark  Co.  in  1897,  and 
Mr.  Parker  says  it  breeds  in  Montgomery  Co.  Professor  I.  W. 
Kilpatrick  reported  the  Bobolink  as  a  rare  summer  resident  in 
1885  at  Fayette,  Howard  Co.  In  Mr.  Lynds  Jones'  list  of 
birds  seen  June  29,  1900,  on  his  way  through  northern  Missouri 
from  La  Plata,  Macon  Co.,  to  Kansas  City,  i.  e.,  south  of  40° 
lat.,  the  Bobolink  has  found  a  place.  Trippe  in  his  list  of 
birds  of  Decatur  Co.,  Iowa,  just  across  the  state  line,  says  of 
it:  "Breeds  locally." 

*495.  MOLOTHRUS  ATER  (Bodd.).    Cowbird. 

Emberiza  pecoris.      Icterus  pecoris.     Molothrus  pecoris.     Fringilla  ambigua 
(juv.) 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America,  except  portions  of  Pacific  coast; 
north  to  about  lat.  49°  in  the  East,  and  to  55°  in  the  interior; 
west  to  British  Columbia,  Washington,  Oregon,  Nevada  and 
southeastern  California.  Breeds  from  Georgia,  Louisiana  and 
Texas  (San  Antonio  and  Houston)  northward  and  winters  from 
the  Southern  States  southward  to  Yucatan. 

In  Missouri  a  common  summer  resident  on  all  cultivated  land 
throughout  the  state,  even  in  the  valleys  of  the  Ozarks,  but 
avoiding  deep  woods  and  therefore  rather  rare  in  some  of  the 
southern  counties  and  in  the  southeast.  A  few  winter  in  the 
state,  not  only  from  St.  Louis  southward,  but  in  mild  winters 
also  in  the  northern  part,  as  reported  by  Mrs.  Musick  from 
Mt.  Carmel,  Audrain  Co.,  December  25-28, 1884,  and  January  21 
and  24,  1886,  and  by  Mr.M.  P.  Lientz  from  Linwood,  January 
30,  1889  and  January  8, 1890.  The  very  first  Cowbirds  come  in 
the  company  of  Redwings  about  the  first  of  March,  but  are  easily 
overlooked  as  they  do  not  appear  in  their  old  haunts,  staying 
with  the  host  of  Redwings  in  the  marshes.  As  is  the  case  with 
all  other  March  arrivals,  the  dates  of  first  Cowbirds  vary  greatly 
with  the  weather  from  the  second  week  of  March  to  the  first  week 
of  April.  The  bulk  of  the  species  generally  does  not  come  before 
the  first  or  second  week  of  April  and  in  the  more  northern  part 
before  the  second  or  third  week.  It  is  usually  not  far  from  April 
1  when  the  first  male  Cowbird  announces  from  a  treetop  that  he 
is  back  again  at  his  old  stand  and  ready  for  mischief,  but  it  is 
a  week  or  more  before  he  gets  a  chance  to  court.  After  the 


152  Trans.  Acad,  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

females  have  arrived  in  force  by  the  middle  of  April  the  species 
becomes  for  nearly  two  months  one  of  the  most  conspicuous, 
especially  in  the  morning  hours,  when  its  call  note  is  in  the  air 
everywhere,  its  song  is  coming  from  the  treetops,  and  restless 
troops  of  excited  males  and  females  follow  or  chase  each 
other,  the  males  usually  in  the  majority.  The  Cowbird  is  one 
of  the  most  social  birds  and  even  during  the  period  of  mating 
and  oviposition  troops  of  from  20  to  30  are  seen  in  the  evening 
going  to  the  common  roost  in  the  river  bottom.  These  troops 
are  joined  by  the  young  ones  as  soon  as  they  can  dispense  with 
the  care  of  their  foster-parents.  Together  they  visit  pastures 
and  stubble  fields,  roaming  more  and  more  as  the  season  advances, 
until,  in  September,  migration  begins  and  many  of  their  summer 
haunts  are  deserted.  The  willow  thickets  covering  the  shores 
and  islands  of  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  Rivers  offer  safe 
retreats  to  migrants  of  all  kinds  and  thither  large  flocks  of 
wandering  Cowbirds  repair  in  the  evening  to  spend  the  night  in 
company  with  Crackles,  Martins  and  others.  In  October  they 
join  the  different  kinds  of  blackbirds  in  the  marshes,  where  the 
thickly  tangled  weeds  and  grasses  offer  warmer  quarters  than 
the  willows  along  the  rivers.  Not  many  Cowbirds  are  with  us 
after  the  first  of  November,  but  as  in  early  spring,  a  few  stay  with 
the  Redwings  until  real  winter  drives  them  farther  south.  Much 
has  been  written  about  the  damage  done  by  the  Cowbird's 
parasitic  habit,  but  no  hypothesis  has  ever  been  offered  as  to  the 
origin  of  this  peculiar  habit.  Ten  years  ago  the  author  published 
the  following  conjecture  in  "  Science,"  new  series,  vol.  5,  no. 
109,  on  the  " Origin  of  Parasitism  in  the  Cowbird."  "Repro- 
ductive parasitism,  as  we  find  it  in  the  Cowbird,  is  such  a  rare 
exception  to  the  rule  among  higher  animals,  where  parental 
affection  is  highly  developed,  that  it  never  ceases  to  be  an  object 
of  speculation  as  to  its  origin.  There  are  two  peculiarities 
for  which  our  Cowbird  is  renowned:  the  one  which  gives  him 
his  scientific  name  Molothrus,  a  parasite;  the  other  which  causes 
him  to  be  called  Cowbird,  his  strong  attachment  to  grazing 
animals  especially  horses  and  cattle.  Now,  should  there  not  be 
a  connection  between  these  two  traits?  Nobody  would  think 
that  the  habit  of  following  horses  and  cattle  has  been  formed 
since  the  introduction  of  these  animals  by  the  white  man. 
Its  Indian  name  Buffalo-bird  was  certainly  no  misnomer  and  it 
can  hardly  be  questioned  that  for  ages  the  buffalo,  or  American 
bison,  was  the  animal  which,  in  the  economy  of  our  Cowbird, 


\\~idmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  153 

played  the  part  now' taken  by  the  domestic  animals.  The  dis- 
tribution of  the  one  coincides  in  the  main  with  that  of  the  other, 
except  that  in  recent  years  the  Cowbird  has  extended  its  range 
to  follow  domesticated  cattle.  A  few  years  ago  the  bison  roamed 
over  the  greater  part  of  eastern  North  America  from  the  Atlantic 
to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  in  suitable  places,  and  it  was  not  until 
the  last  century  that  it  became  exterminated  in  the  territory 
east  of  the  Mississippi  River.  But  the  habits  of  the  Cowbird 
were  probably  formed  before  the  bison  and  the  Red  Man  were  on 
the  scene,  since  some  species  in  southern  South  America  have 
similar  traits.  The  Cowbird,  like  all  other  Icteridae,  have  their 
origin  in  South  America,  and  of  the  twelve  species  and  sub- 
species known,  only  three  enter  the  United  States.  Not  all  the 
species  are  parasitic;  of  some  we  do  not  know  the  mode  of  re- 
production, but  Molothrus  badius  of  Argentine,  Paraguay 
and  Bolivia  builds  its  nest  and  rears  its  young  like  other  birds, 
and  there  was  undoubtedly  a  time  when  Molothrus  ater  did  the 
same. 

"We  know  that  fossil  remains  of  horses,  not  much  unlike  ours, 
are  found  abundantly  in  the  deposits  of  the  most  recent  geo- 
logical age  in  many  parts  of  America  from  Alaska  to  Patagonia. 
It  was  probably  at  that  period  that  the  Cowbird  acquired  the 
habit  of  accompanying  the  grazing  herds,  which  were  wandering 
continually  in  search  of  good  pasture,  water  and  shelter,  in  their 
seasonal  migrations  and  movements  to  escape  their  enemies. 
As  the  pastoral  habit  of  the  bird  became  stronger,  it  gave  rise 
to  the  parasitic  habit,  simply  because,  in  following  the  roving 
animals,  the  bird  often  strayed  from  home  too  far  to  reach  its 
nest  in  time  for  the  deposition  of  the  egg,  and,  being  hard, 
pressed  had  to  look  about  for  another  bird's  nest  where-in  to  lay 
the  egg. 

"After  the  acquisition  of  the  roving  habit  it  is  not  difficult  to 
imagine  that  such  cases  occurred  quite  often,  especially  when 
with  the  change  of  climate  both,  birds  and  mammals,  spread  more 
and  more  into  the  temperate  regions,  where  the  spring  move- 
ments of  the  grazing  animals  fell  together  with  the  bird's  breeding 
time.  By  a  combination  of  favorable  circumstances  this  new 
vay  of  reproduction  proved  successful,  and  the  parasitic  off- 
spring became  more  and  more  numerous.  In  the  course  of  time 
the  art  of  building  nests  was  lost,  the  desire  to  incubate  entirely 
gone,  paternal  and  conjugal  affection  deadened,  and  parasitism 
had  become  a  fixed  habit." 


154  Trans.  A  cad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

*497.  XANTHOCEPHALUS  XANTHOCEPHALUS  (Bonap.).     Yellow- 
headed  Blackbird. 

Icterus    xanthocephalus.     Agelaius    xanthocephalus.     Icterus  icterocephalus. 
Xanthocephalus  icterocephalus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  North  America,  east  to  western  Missouri, 
northeastern  Illinois,  southern  Wisconsin,  northwestern  Indiana, 
northern  Minnesota,  Manitoba  and  Keewatin;  north  to  Atha- 
basca and  southern  British  Columbia.  Breeds  from  northern 
Mexico  northward  locally  throughout  its  range  and  winters  from 
Louisiana  and  Texas  southward  through  most  of  Mexico. 
Accidental  stragglers  in  Eastern  United  States,  Cuba  and 
Greenland. 

In  Missouri  the  Yellow-headed  Blackbird  has  been  found  breed- 
ing west  of  a  line  drawn  from  the  northeast  to  the  southwest 
corner  of  the  state.  Mr.  Ed.  S.  Currier  took  three  sets  of  eggs 
in  Clark  Co.,  May  28, 1895.  I  found  several  pairs,  June  19, 1906, 
at  Renick's  Lake,  Saline  Co.;  W.  E.  D.  Scott  gives  the  species 
as  breeding  in  Johnson  Co.  in  1874  and  Mr.  H.  Nehrling  found  it 
breeding  in  the  eighties  at  Sarcoxie  in  Jasper  Co.  Its  breeding 
range  was  formerly  more  extended  eastward,  as  Dr.  A.  F.  Eimbeck 
knows  of  its  breeding  in  the  vicinity  of  New  Haven,  where  he  says 
it  arrived  in  March  and  remained  until  November  (November 
3,  1903;  November  6,  1902.)  As  a  transient  visitant  it  is  well 
known  in  western  Missouri  and  seems  to  have  been  quite  common 
formerly.  Prince  of  Wied  mentions  it  on  three  days  between 
Leaven  worth  and  the  northwest  corner  of  Missouri,  April  22  and 
27,  1833,  when  he  speaks  of  flocks  of  it,  and  again  on  his  return, 
May  18,  1834.  Audubon  and  Harris  met  it  near  the  northwest 
corner,  May  9,  1843,  and  Dr.  E.  Coues  found  it  at  Fort  Leaven- 
worth.  Mr.  Prier  gives  it  as  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant 
at  Appleton  City,  St.  Claire  Co.,  in  1906,  and  there  are  several 
migration  reports  from  Jasper,  Vernon  and  Jackson  Counties 
with  dates  varying  from  the  last  of  March  to  the  tenth  of  May. 
From  St.  Louis  southward  it  must  be  regarded  as  a  rare  straggler, 
but  was  observed  at  Old  Orchard.  In  St.  Charles  Co.  it  has 
repeatedly  been  found  singly  or  a  few  together  with  troops  of 
Redwings.  It  is  also  reported  from  Audrain  Co.,  May  15,  1885, 
by  Mrs.  Musick,  and  has  occurred  at  Warsaw  and  Keokuk  as 
an  irregular  visitor. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  155 
*498.  AGELAIUS  PHOENICEUS  (Linn.).  Red-winged  Blackbird. 

Agelaeus  phoeniceus.     Icterus  phoeniceus.      Sturnus  predatorius.       Swamp 
Blackbird. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  more  southern  British 
Provinces,  except  Gulf  coast  and  Florida;  west  to  eastern  base 
of  Rocky  Mountains.  Breeds  throughout  its  range  and  winters 
from  southeastern  Nebraska,  central  Illinois,  Indiana,  southern 
New  Jersey,  southward. 

In  Missouri  a  common  summer  resident  in  all  open  districts, 
on  wet  meadows  in  the  valleys  of  the  Ozarks,  on  the  open  swamps 
of  the  southeast,  in  the  marshes  of  the  floodplains  as  well  as 
throughout  the  prairie  region  north  and  west,  but  always  near 
water.  The  floodplain  of  the  Mississippi  is  certainly  the  great 
thoroughfare  for  countless  millions  of  different  kinds  of  black- 
birds, by  far  the  most  numerous  of  which  is  the  Redwing.  The 
thickly  matted  marsh  grasses  offer  excellent  shelter  at  night  and 
the  corn  shocks  on  adjacent  farms  keep  them  from  starv- 
ing when  nothing  better  can  be  had.  As  far  north  as  St. 
Charles  Co.  Redwings  are  loath  to  leave  in  winter  and  small 
troops  either  of  this  species  or  of  the  lately  separated  north- 
ern subspecies  may  be  seen  in  the  coldest  months.  Unusual 
rigor  may  drive  them  farther  south  for  a  few  weeks,  but 
they  are  back  again  with  the  first  warm  spell.  Soon  after 
the  middle  of  February  migration  begins  in  earnest,  the 
vanguard  spreading  over  southern  and  central,  sometimes 
even  over  northern,  Missouri  before  the  first  of  March.  After 
this  first  advance  there  is  often  a  lull  until  the  middle  of  March 
when  the  great  host  reaches  the  state  in  immense  flocks  of  north- 
bound transients.  At  the  same  time  the  first  old  males  take  up 
their  favorite  perches  and  announce  that  they  intend  to  occupy 
them  again  the  coming  season.  With  the  wonted  vicissitudes  of 
the  season  migration  drags  through  April  and  nearly  to  the  middle 
of  May,  troops  of  females  forming  the  rear  guard  after  the  main 
army  has  departed  and  probably  reached  the  northern  home. 
In  the  meantime  the  ranks  of  our  summer  residents  have  filled 
up,  the  females  have  at  last  joined  their  long-suffering  mates, 
courting  is  going  on  with  much  show  and  ado  until  toward  the 
end  of  May  domestic  considerations  bid  them  be  reserved  and 
cautious.  When  the  young  are  grown  they  join  the  parents  in 
roving  over  the  country  in  search  of  favorite  dishes  and  secure 
roosting  places,  flying  daily  many  miles  to  the  willow  thickets  in 
the  river  bottoms  or  the  Spartina  stretches  in  the  marshes. 


156  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Early  in  October  migration  from  the  north  begins  to  get  brisk, 
reaching  its  maximum  about  the  middle  of  the  month,  when  on 
some  days  enormous  masses  congregate  in  the  marshes,  pouring 
in  from  different  directions  in  perfect  streams  for  an  hour  before 
sunset.  An  equally  grand  spectacle  greets  the  beholder  in  the 
early  morning,  when  they  leave  the  marsh  in  compact  columns 
diverging  in  different  directions.  While  after  the  first  of  Novem- 
ber the  main  body  of  the  invading  army  has  departed,  enough  are 
left  to  the  end  of  the  month  to  fill  with  marvel  and  surprise  the 
tyro  in  the  marsh. 

498d.  AGELAIUS  PHOENICEUS  FORTIS  Ridgw.    Thick-billed  Red- 
wing. 

Northern  Red-wing. 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeding  range :  Athabasca,  Mackenzie  and  other 
interior  districts  of  British  America.  During  migration  the  Great 
Plains  from  eastern  base  of  Rocky  Mountains  to  Manitoba, 
Minnesota,  Nebraska,  Indian  Territory,  western  Illinois,  Ken- 
tucky and  southward  to  Arizona  and  western  Texas. 

According  to  the  geographic  range  a  part  of  the  incalculable 
numbers  of  Redwings  which  pass  through  Missouri  in  spring  and 
fall  must  belong  to  this  subspecies,  which  is  decidedly  larger 
with  a  shorter  and  thicker  bill.  Specimens  were  taken  at 
Burlington,  la.,  October  12  and  13,  1895;  Monana  Co.,  la., 
October  14, 1884 ;  Blue  Lake,  la.,  October  22, 1884 ;  in  Henderson 
Co.,  111.,  March  12,  1893,  and  in  Kentucky,  December  15,  1894. 

*501.  STURNELLA  MAGNA  (Linn.).    Meadowlark. 

Alauda  magna.     Sturnus  ludovicianus.     Sturnella  ludoviciana. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Ontario,  rarely 
to  Quebec  and  the  Maritime  Provinces,  and  Minnesota:  west  to 
western  Iowa,  eastern  Kansas,  Indian  Territory.  Winters  occa- 
sionally in  the  northern  states,  but  generally  from  Kentucky  and 
Virginia  southward  to  the  Gulf. 

In  Missouri  a  common  summer  resident  in  all  open  districts, 
therefore  most  plentiful  in  the  prairie  and  Ozark  border  regions, 
scarce  in  the  Ozarks  and  the  southeast,  and  apparently  entirely 
replaced  by  the  Western  Meadowlark  in  the  northwest  corner 
of  the  state.  Some  remain  with  us  in  winter  and  many  more 
would  probably  do  so  if  permitted,  but  Meadowlarks  are  con- 
sidered game  birds  and  few  succeed  in  living  through  winter. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  157 

The  new  game  law  of  1905  protects  the  species,  and  it  is  our  hope 
that  this  will  have  a  beneficial  effect,  as  the  number  of  summer 
residents  and  transients  has  been  greatly  reduced.  The  first 
Meadowlarks  return  to  Missouri  with  great  regularity  during  the 
first  week  of  March,  exceptionally  in  February  or  in  the  second 
week  of  March;  the  bulk  comes  between  the  10th  and  the  18th, 
exceptionally  later,  as  March  31,  1906.  Troops  of  transients 
are  with  us  until  the  last  week  in  April  and  again  from  the  last 
week  of  September  to  the  last  week  of  October.  After  quail 
shooting  begins  November  1,  Meadowlarks  get  scarce,  and  by 
the  end  of  the  month  only  winter  numbers,  i.  e.,  very  few,  are  left. 

*501b.  STURNELLA  MAGNA  NEGLECTA  (Aud.).    Western  Meadow- 
lark. 

Sturnella  neglecta.     Sturnella  ludoviciana. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  United  States,  southwestern  British 
Provinces  and  northwestern  Mexico;  east  to  Manitoba,  Minne- 
sota, Wisconsin,  Iowa,  northern  Missouri,  Indian  Territory  and 
Texas. 

The  prairie  region  of  Missouri  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  best 
fields  for  the  study  of  the  relationship  of  the  two  forms  of  Sturnella, 
magna  and  magna  neglecta.  The  true  Eastern  Meadowlark 
occurs  throughout  southern  Missouri  to  the  exclusion  of  the 
true  Western  except  in  migration,  when  typical  neglecta  are 
regular  transient  visitants  along  our  western  border.  Typical 
Eastern  Meadowlarks  occur  as  summer  residents  throughout 
northern  Missouri  except  the  northwest  corner,  where,  in  the 
region  of  Langdon,  Atchison  Co.,  only  tpyical  Western  were  ob- 
served in  June  1906.  Together  with  the  true  Eastern,  true  West- 
ern breed  in  Nodaway  Co.,  the  next  county  east  of  Atchison 
Co.  Mr.  B.  M.  Stigall  of  Kansas  City,  who  became  acquainted 
with  the  Western  in  Colorado,  writes  that  during  June  and  July 
1906,  which  he  spent  at  Maryville,  Nodaway  Co.,  Mo.,  he  heard 
both,  magna  and  neglecta,  singing  in  the  same  field.  How 
far  eastward  the  true  Western  is  found  breeding  has  not  been 
determined,  but,  together  with  the  true  Eastern  Meadowlark, 
forms  occur  which  cannot  properly  be  placed  with  either  one  of 
the  subspecies  because  intermediate.  They  are  found  as  far 
east  as  the  counties  bordering  the  Mississippi  and  as  far  south 
as  Montgomery  and  St.  Charles  counties.  The  typical  Western 
rarely  straggles  as  far  east  as  St.  Louis  Co.  where  it  was  only 


158  Trans.  A  cad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

once  met  with  at  Old  Orchard,  in  the  spring  1896,  remaining  a 
few  days  singing  gloriously. 

The  question  whether  the  two  forms,  St.  magna  and  neglecta, 
are  true  species  or  subspecies  still  awaits  solution,  requiring 
extensive  field  work,  but  offering  an  excellent  opportunity  for 
profitable  study.  Mr.  J.  A.  Allen  was  the  first  to  observe  in  1867 
"that  the  Meadowlarks  of  northern  Illinois  differed  in  song 
quite  markedly  from  their  relations  in  the  eastern  United  States, 
the  departure  being  in  the  direction  of  that  of  var.  neglecta" 
(See  Mem.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.  vol.  1,  pt.  4,  1868,  pp.  496, 
497).  Dr.  Elliott  Coues  in  his  Birds  of  the  North-west,  1877, 
writes:  "At  the  edge  of  the  western  prairies  St.  magna  begins  to 
shade  into  var.  neglecta,  which  reaches  its  maximum  departure 
on  the  dry  central  plains."  and  again:  "The  case  of  Sturnella 
magna  neglecta  is  settled  and  explained;  magna  shades  directly 
into  neglecta.  The  change  is  imperceptibly  effected."  In  vol. 
5  of  the  Nuttall  Bull.,  1880,  Mr.  W.  J.  McGee  of  Farley,  la., 
writes:  "I  saw  several  individuals  (notably  one  near  Rudd, 
Floyd  Co.),  which  I  was  totally  unable  to  satisfactorily  identify 
with  either  S.  magna  or  S.  neglecta,  either  by  markings,  habits, 
attitude  or  voice.  They  seemed  to  hold  an  intermediate  position, 
in  all  characters,  between  the  best  marked  extremes."  The 
well-known  author  of  "The  Story  of  the  Birds,"  Mr.  James  New- 
ton Baskett,  of  Mexico,  Mo.,  who  was  the  first  to  call  the  attention 
of  ornithologists  to  the  hybrid  song  of  Meadowlarks  in  northern 
Missouri  (Auk,  vol.  13,  p.  258,  1896)  writes  me:  "There  can  be 
no  doubt  about  the  inter-grading  of  the  two  kinds.  I  have 
had  several  correspondents  to  confirm  this— especially  from  Iowa 
and  Minnesota." 

In  his  "Study  of  the  Genus  Sturnella,"  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat. 
Hist.  vol.  13,  1900,  Mr.  Frank  M.  Chapman  makes  the  following 
instructive  remarks  in  regard  to  the  seasonal  change  in  color  and 
pattern:  "The  fact  that  Meadowlarks  have  only  a  post-nuptial 
molt  and  that  when  the  breeding  season  arrives,  wear  and  fading 
have  deprived  their  plumage  of  its  most  characteristic  colors 
and  markings,  greatly  complicates  the  study  of  their  relation- 
ships. The  fall  molt  is  concluded  in  September  and  from  that 
month  until  January  there  is  not  sufficient  change  in  plumage 
to  interfere  with  the  proper  identification  of  specimens.  After 
January,  however,  fading  and  wear  often  so  alter  a  bird's  appear- 
ance that  its  identity  cannot  be  determined  with  certainty. 
It  follows,  therefore,  that  the  different  characters  of  these  birds 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  159 

are  best  exhibited  in  the  fall  and  are  least  apparent  in  the 
breeding  season,  an  unfortunate  condition  of  affairs  as  every 
systematist  will  readily  recognize."  Of  a  specimen  in  the  col- 
lection of  the  Biology  Survey,  a  male  taken  July  13  at  Golden 
City,  Mo.,  he  writes:  "S.  magna  apparently  approaching 
negleda,  but  in  too  worn  plumage  to  be  satisfactorily  determined." 
And  of  a  young  bird  taken  at  the  same  place  on  the  same  day : 
"  Apparently  intermediate,  the  central  tail-feathers  abnormally 
marked  with  white."  What  Mr.  Chapman  says  of  the  song  is 
highly  interesting:  "Some  advocates  of  the  specific  distinctness 
of  the  eastern  and  western  Meadowlarks  have  attached  much 
importance  to  the  marked  and  well-known  differences  in  the 
songs  of  these  birds,  and  while  these  differences  are  doubtless 
of  value  in  making  field  identifications,  they  should  not,  I  think, 
be  given  importance  by  the  systematist.  Song  is  largely  if 
not  wholly  an  uninherited  character  and  is  subject  to  great 
individual  and  geographical  variation.  In  both  magna  and 
neglecta  this  statement  is  usually  well  illustrated  by  the  wide 
range  of  variation  occurring  in  their  respective  songs.  Dozens 
of  strikingly  different  songs  of  neglecta  have  been  recorded, 
its  vocal  powers  have  been  described  as  being  a  '  husky  whistle7 
and  as  excelling  those  of  the  Nightingale;  and  while  this  differ- 
ence is  no  doubt  partially  in  the  ear  of  the  hearer,  it  nevertheless 
attests  a  wide  range  of  variability.  Similar  differences  are  to 
be  observed  in  the  eastern  Meadowlarks."  Speaking  of  a  series 
of  specimens  from  southern  Texas,  Mr.  Chapman  says:  "There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  they  prove  the  complete  intergradation  of 
magna  and  neglecta.  Whether  this  intergradation  is  geograph- 
ical, that  is,  correlated  with  climatic  conditions,  or  whether  it 
is  due  to  the  interbreeding  of  typical  examples  of  magna  with 
typical  examples  of  neglecta,  can  only  be  determined  by  farther 
field  work." 

Mr.  Chapman's  paper  concludes  with  the  following  very  ac- 
ceptable theory:  "Assuming  that  Meadowlarks  originated  in 
the  humid  tropics,  we  have,  as  the  ancestral  form,  a  dark  bird, 
which,  spreading  northward  along  the  coast  and  over  the  Mexican 
tablelands,  retained  its  dark  colors  in  humid  regions  and  ac- 
quired a  paler  color  in  arid  regions.  If  the  assumption  of  the 
origin  of  both  birds  from  a  common  ancestor  be  accepted  and  if 
their  geographical  intergradation  at  the  southern  limits  of  the 
range  of  neglecta  be  established,  we  are  then  in  a  position  to 
explain  their  apparent  association  as  species  in  the  more  northern 


160  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

part  of  their  range,  on  the  ground  that  while  their  ranges  origi- 
nally diverged  like  forks  of  a  Y,  the  ends  have  finally  come 
together,  not  as  geographical  intergrades,  but  as  two  forms, 
both  of  which  have  occupied  the  region  where  they  are  found 
associated  at  so  recent  a  date  that  neither  shows  the  effect  of 
the  climatic  conditions  under  which  it  lives,  but  exhibits  the 
characters  earlier  acquired. 

"In  the  Mississippi  Valley,  therefore,  we  have  the  apparent 
anomoly  of  two  geographical  races  or  subspecies  of  the  same 
species  breeding  at  the  same  place,  and,  occasionally  associated 
with  them,  are  certain  intermediate  specimens  showing  in  vary- 
ing degrees  the  characters  of  both  extremes.  Since  it  is  out  of 
question  to  suppose  that  the  same  environment  could  produce 
three  phases  of  the  same  species  at  the  same  place,  that  is, 
neglecta,  magna,  arid  intermediates  between  the  two,  we  can 
only  suppose  that  such  connecting  specimens  are  not  geograph- 
ical intergrades  but  the  results  of  a  union  between  neglecta  and 
magna.  In  fact,  loosely  speaking,  these  connecting  specimens 
would  be  termed  hybrids,  but,  accepting  as  a  definition  of  this 
word  "the  offspring  of  animals  of  different  species,"  it  is  evident 
that  in  a  strict  sense  it  cannot  be  applied  to  these  intermediates, 
which  are  in  the  progeny  of  parents  not  specifically  distinct." 

[50 Ic.    STCJRNELLA  MAGNA    ARGATULA    Bangs.    Southern  Mea- 

dowlark.] 

Geog.  Dist. — Southern  United  States  from  Florida  to  Louis- 
iana, north  to  southeastern  Illinois  and  southwestern  Indiana 
within  the  limits  of  the  Austroriparian  or  Lower  Austral  life- 
zone. 

This  smaller  and  darker  subspecies  should  be  looked  for  in 
our  southeastern  counties. 

*506.  ICTERUS  SPURIUS  (Linn.).    Orchard  Oriole. 

Oriolus  spurius.     Oriolus  mutatus  Wils. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States,  breeding  from  southern 
Texas  and  northern  Florida  north  to  Connecticut,  southern  New 
York,  southern  Ontario,  southern  Michigan,  southern  Wis- 
consin, central  Minnesota  and  South  Dakota:  west  to  100° 
meridian.  In  winter  to  Mexico,  Central  America  and  northern 
Colombia,  Cuba. 

In  Missouri  one  of  our  most  common  and  generally  distributed 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  161 

summer  residents,  originally  inhabiting  the  timber  along  water 
courses,  but  now  taking  to  orchards,  gardens  and  even  the  shade 
trees  around  houses  and  the  streets  of  towns  and  cities.  It  is  one 
of  the  commonest  species  in  the  Ozarks,  wherever  there  is  a 
settlement,  on  the  ridges  as  well  as  in  the  valleys.  The  first 
come  to  southern  Missouri  soon  after  the  middle  of  April,  to 
central  Missouri  in  the  fourth  week,  and  to  the  more  northern 
part  of  the  state  the  last  days  of  the  month  or  the  first  few 
days  of  May,  when  the  bulk  of  the  species  has  generally  spread 
all  over  the  rest  of  the  state.  The  first  to  arrive  are  the  old 
males  followed  after  a  few  days  by  the  first  females  and  the  first 
males  of  the  second  year.  It  is  from  one  to  two  weeks  after 
the  first  males  have  come  before  their  full  strength  is  reached 
and  their  song  heard  everywhere.  After  the  young  are  grown 
the  species  roams  in  July  and  August  in  troops  through  the 
country  living  mostly  on  wild  cherries,  wild  grapes  and  other 
wild  fruit,  sometimes  visiting  orchards.  After  August  20  the 
species  is  seen  only  occasionally,  though  we  may  come  upon  a 
few  later  in  the  month  or  in  early  September,  exceptionally  later 
(September  17,  1903,  New  Haven;  September  21,  1903,  Kansas 
City). 

*507.  ICTERUS  GALBULA  (Linn.)    Baltimore  Oriole. 

Oriolus  baltimore.     Icterus  baltimore.     Yphantes  baltimore.     Hangnest. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  breeding  from  southern 
United  States,  except  along  Gulf  coast,  north  to  Maritime 
Provinces,  Quebec,  Ontario  and  Manitoba;  west  to  eastern 
Assiniboia,  Montana,  Wyoming  and  Colorado  east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  Winters  through  eastern  Mexico  and  Central 
America  to  Colombia  and  Venezuela. 

In  Missouri  a  common  summer  resident  except  in  the  Ozarks 
where  it  is  found  in  the  larger  valleys  only.  Originally  the 
Baltimore  inhabited  the  trees  overhanging  streams  and  it  still 
follows  this  fashion  in  the  southeast,  where  its  loud  wild  notes 
fit  well  to  the  weird  scenery  of  those  desolate  waters.  With 
the  settlement  of  the  prairie  region  it  was  not  slow  to  see  the 
advantages  of  a  closer  contact  with  modern  conditions  and  now 
hangs  its  nest  in  the  shade  trees  next  to  human  habitation,  but 
fortunately  so  far  out  of  reach  of  enemies  that  the  species  can 
not  only  hold  its  own,  but  is  enabled  to  spread  to  sections  not 
inhabited  before.  The  first  male  Baltimore  arrives  in  southeast 
Missouri  at  the  end  of  the  first  or  beginning  of  the  second  week 


162  Trans.  Acad.  Sti.  of  St.  Louis. 

of  April;  at  St.  Louis  sometimes  at  the  end  of  the  third,  more 
commonly  at  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  week  and  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  state  during  the  fourth  week  or  the  last  days  of  the 
month.  The  females  and  first  young  males  of  the  second  year 
come  a  few  days  later  and  full  numbers  are  not  present  before 
the  first  week  of  May.  Transient  visitants  swell  their  numbers 
during  the  first  half  of  May  and  are  sometimes  met  with  in  small 
troops  in  unusual  places  in  the  woods  and  in  regions  where  they 
are  not  breeders,  as  on  the  dry  hills  of  the  Ozarks..  When  the 
young,  which  soon  outgrow  their  nest  and,  sitting  around  in  trees, 
play  for  a  while  a  conspicuous  part  by  their  loud  clamoring, 
are  fully  grown,  the  family  leaves  the  breeding  haunts  and  roams 
in  search  of  favorite  diet,  chiefly  caterpillars  and  fruit.  At  this 
period  it  is  seldom  heard,  the  species  displaying  a  tendency  to 
secrecy,  which  accounts  for  its  temporary  rarity  in  late  July 
and  early  August.  But  before  its  departure  after  migration 
from  the  north  has  set  in,  the  Baltimore  becomes  fora  few  days 
prominent  again,  calls  loudly  and  visits  its  old  haunts,  as  if  to 
bid  good-bye.  Ours  may  be  said  to  be  gone  by  September 
first,  but  stragglers  are  encountered  frequently  until  the  middle 
of  the  month,  even  in  the  northern  part  of  Missouri. 

509.  EUPHAGUS  CAROLINUS  (Miill.).    Rusty  Blackbird. 

Scolecophagus  carolinus.  Scolecophagus  ferrugineus.  Gracula  ferruginea. 
Quiscaius  ferrugineus.  Turdus  carolinus.  Rusty  Grackle.  Thrush 
Blackbird. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  and  Northern  North  America;  breeding 
from  Nova  Scotia,  New  Brunswick,  northern  Maine,  White 
Mountains,  Vermont  and  northern  New  York,  northern  Michigan, 
north  to  Ungava  and  northwestwardly  to  the  Arctic  coast 
and  Alaskan  shores  of  Bering  Sea.  South  in  winter  to  Southern 
United  States;  west  in  migration  to  central  Nebraska,  Kansas 
and  Texas,  wintering  from  Lower  Missouri  and  Ohio  Valleys 
southward. 

In  all  parts  of  Missouri  a  common  transient  visitant  and  in  the 
more  southern  part  not  a  very  rare  winter  resident,  frequenting 
barn  yards  when  other  food  supplies  are  cut  off.  Migration  begins 
in  latter  part  of  February,  but  no  great  progress  is  made  until 
about  the  second  or  third  week  of  March,  when  the  species  be- 
comes for  a  week  or  two  common  in  most  parts  of  the  state. 
In  some  years  the  bulk  of  the  species  has  passed  northward  at 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  163 

the  end  of  the  first  Week  of  April,  but,  as  is  the  case  with  other 
early  migrants,  cold  weather  may  retard  progress  for  weeks 
and  the  first  half  of  April  be  the  time  for  the  chief  passage 
of  Rusty  Blackbirds  through  Missouri.  The  "lasts"  have  been 
recorded  all  the  way  from  the  first  of  April  (1905,  Shannon  Co.) 
to  April  23  (1874,  Johnson  Co.).  The  earliest  date  in  fall  mi- 
gration is  September  28,  1896,  at  the  northeastern  corner  of  the 
state  (Currier),  but  usually  the  first  do  not  reach  Missouri  before 
the  second  week  of  October.  They  mingle  and  roost  with  the 
Robins  or  with  the  Redwings  in  the  reeds  of  the  bottomlands. 
After  this  there  is  a  steady  decline  until  toward  the  end  of 
November  winter  numbers  only  are  left. 

510.  EUPHAGUS  CYANOCEPHALUS  (Wagl.).    Brewer's  Blackbird. 

Scolecophagus  cyanocephalus.     Quiscalus  breweri.     Blue-headed  Crackle. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  North  America;  breeding  from  southern 
Texas  and  Mexico  north  to  British  Columbia,  Alberta,  Sas- 
katchewan and  Manitoba ;  east  to  Minnesota,  Nebraska,  western 
Kansas.  During  migrations  straggling  east  to  Wisconsin,  Iowa, 
Illniois,  South  Carolina  and  Louisiana.  In  winter  over  the  whole 
of  Mexico  into  Guatemala. 

Has  been  reported  from  Freistatt,  Lawrence  Co.,  by  Mr.  H. 
Nehrling,  who  met  with  a  party  of  five,  March  1,  1885,  and  a 
troop  of  twenty,  November  7, 1886.  It  is  probably  more  common 
than  we  know  and  should  be  looked  for  along  our  western  border, 
since  Professor  Snow  states  that  it  is  "quite  common  even  in 
eastern  Kansas."  Dr.  Allen  says  that  "from  its  size,  color  and 
habits  it  may  readily  be  mistaken  for  the  Purple  Grackle  of  the 
East."  The  male  is  lustrous  greenish-black,  changing  abruptly 
to  purplish  and  violet  on  the  head.  '  The  female  and  young  are 
distinguished  from  those  of  E.  carolinus  with  some  difficulty, 
but  they  average  larger,  with  the  bill  heavier  at  the  base,  and  are 
probably  never  so  decidedly  rusty-brown  (Coues,  Birds  of  the 
North-west). 

*511b.  QUISCALUS  QUISCULA  AENEUS  (Ridgw.).  Bronzed  Grackle. 

Quiscalus  versicolor.     Quiscalus  purpureus.     Quiscalus  aeneus.     Quiscalus 
purpureus  aeneus.     Grackle.     Crow  Blackbird.     Common  Blackbird. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America  except  Atlantic  coast 
district  from  shores  of  Long  Island  Sound  southward  and  the 
Gulf  coast  from  Florida  to  Louisiana;  northward  through  Mari- 


164  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

time  Provinces  to  southern  Newfoundland,  southern  Labrador, 
Great  Slave  Lake  and  Prince  Albert;  west  to  base  of  Rocky 
Mountains  in  Montana,  Wyoming,  Colorado  and  New  Mexico. 
Winters  chiefly  in  the  Lower  Mississippi  Valley  south  of  lat. 
35°,  occasionally  farther  north. 

In  Missouri  the  Bronzed  Grackle  is  one  of  the  common  and 
generally  distributed  summer  residents  on  open  land,  nesting  in 
small  colonies,  preferably  near  human  habitation.     In  south- 
eastern Missouri  they  still  nest  in  tree  holes  in  deadenings;  else- 
where they  choose  evergreens  and  other  heavily  foliaged  shade 
trees  for  nesting  sites.     In  the  Ozarks,  which  were  formerly 
densely  wooded,  the  species  is  still  rare  as  a  breeder,  even  in 
places  which  have  long  been  cleared  and  cultivated.     As  a  winter 
visitant  the  Bronzed  Grackle  is  rare  except  along  the  Mississippi 
River  from  St.  Louis  southward.    Opposite  St.  Charles  along 
the  bank  of  the  Missouri  River  there  is  a  large  swampy  tract  of 
willows  used  as  a  winter  roost  for  innumerable  Redwings,  and 
with  them  hundreds  of  Bronzed  Grackles  have  been  seen  going 
even  in  the  middle  of  January,  in  mild  weather,  but  as  their 
numbers  change  constantly,  there  are  hardly  two  days  alike, 
showing  that  they  also  use  other  roosts  farther  south,  to  which 
they  fly  when  the  weather  is  not  inviting  northward.     Should 
weather  conditions  remain  unfavorable  the  roost  may  remain 
deserted  or  nearly  so  for  weeks  at  a  time,  until  a  change  sets  in 
when  they  appear  again.     Away  from  the  roost  they  are  seldom 
met  with,  because  they  go  far  to  favorite  feeding  grounds  and 
scatter  over  a  large  territory.     Real  migration  begins  in  the 
latter  part  of  February  and  in  early  March  in  the  southeast; 
it  reaches  the  central,  and  along  the  Mississippi  River  even  the 
northern,  counties  in  the  second,  less  often  in  the  third  week  of 
the  month,  very  rarely  later,  as  in  1906,  when  winter  reigned  to 
the  end  of  March.     The  first-comers  are  probably  mostly  tran- 
sients, bound  for  the  far  north,  keep  in  dense  flocks  and  roost  in 
the  river  bottoms.     It  is  only  after  the  bulk  of  the  species  has 
invaded  the  state  during  the  latter  half  of  March,  that  the  first 
of  our  summer  residents  make  their  appearance  on  the  breeding 
grounds  and  announce  that  they  intend  to  occupy  them  again 
as  soon  as  their  mates  have  arrived.     They  return  in  the  evening 
to  the  common  roost  and,  should  the  weather  turn  bad,  are  not 
seen  at  their  old  stands  again  for  days,  but  as  soon  as  warm 
weather  sets  in  they  return,  are  joined  by  the  first  females,  and 
mating    begins    with   much  chasing    and  noise  making.     The 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  165 

transit  of  tremendous  flocks  of  migrants  continues  through  the 
first  two  weeks  of  April,  during  which  time  the  ranks  of  summer 
residents  fill  up,  and  nest-building  begins.  During  all  this  time 
of  mating  and  nest-building,  and  until  incubation  begins,  the 
whole  colony  leave  the  breeding  ground  in  the  evening  and  go 
to  the  common  roost,  preferably  willows  in  the  bottoms,  to  which 
they  come  from  all  sides  for  miles  to  spend  the  night  together. 
As  soon  as  the  young  are  able  to  fly  so  far,  about  the  first  of  July, 
they  also  follow  the  parents  to  the  common  roost.  While  not 
very  popular  with  some  agriculturists,  they  are  well  liked  by 
.others,  who  appreciate  their  services  when  following  the  plow 
or  doing  other  useful  jobs  in  cleaning  the  fields  of  vermin.  With 
their  glossy  plumage,  elegant  shape  and  graceful  walk  they  are 
quite  an  ornament  in  parks  and  on  the  lawns  of  the  suburbanites 
and,  though  not  protected  by  law,  and  subjected  to  much  perse- 
cution, they  still  hold  their  own,  thanks  to  a  great  deal  of  fore- 
sight which  permits  them  to  increase  their  numbers  two  or  three 
fold  before  the  end  of  July.  They  are  very  cautious  in  locating 
their  nests,  which  are  not  easily  detected  though  bulky.  As 
incubation  advances  they  become  very  quiet  and  when  feeding 
young  are  little  seen  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  nest,  but 
approach  it  stealthily  and  bring  the  food  from  great  distances. 
The  young  grow  very  fast  and  the  nest  becomes  too  small  a 
week  or  more  before  they  are  able  to  fly,  but  having  strong  legs 
they  crawl  out  and  perch  on  branches  of  the  surrounding  trees. 
At  this  time  the  whole  family  becomes  a  nuisance.  The  ever 
hungry  youngsters  keep  up  an  incessant  discordant  clamor,  and 
the  parents  raise  their  not  melodious  voices  as  soon  as  somebody 
approaches  one  of  the  trees  in  which  their  objects  of  solicitation 
are  hidden.  Only  one  brood  is  raised,  but  if  the  eggs  or  newly 
hatched  young  should  be  destroyed,  as  they  sometimes  are  by 
severe  windstorms  blowing  down  the  bulky  nests,  another  at- 
tempt is  made,  which  accounts  for  unusually  late  broods.  If 
all  goes  well,  the  Bronzed  Grackles  of  St.  Louis  Co.  leave  the 
breeding  grounds  entirely  early  in  July  not  to  return  until  the 
next  spring.  Troops  of  them  roam  over  the  country,  forming 
large  flocks  which  retire  in  the  evening  to  common  roosts  used  by 
many  flocks.  Southward  migration  begins  early  in  October, 
when  large  flocks  pass  over,  but  the  movement  does  not  reach 
its  maximum  before  the  middle  of  the  month,  when  immense 
numbers  go  to  roost  in  the  marshes  with  the  Redwings.  The 
numbers  vary  daily  but  grow  less  toward  the  end  of  the  month 


166  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

and  during  the  first  half  of  November,  reaching  winter  conditions 
before  the  first  of  December. 

Family  FRINGILLIDAE.    Finches,  Sparrows. 
514.  HESPERIPHONA  VESPERTINA  (Coop.).    Evening  Grosbeak. 

Fringilla  vespertina.     Coccothraustes  vespertinus.     Coccoborus  vespertinus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Interior  districts  of  North  America  east  of  Rocky 
Mountains;  breeding  range  unknown.  In  winter  from  Sas- 
katchewan River  south  to  northern  United  States  and  east 
through  Ontario  and  New  York  to  New  England;  everywhere 
irregular  and  occasionally  south  as  far  as  Kansas,  Kentucky, 
Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey. 

In  Missouri  a  very  rare  winter  visitant.  Mr.  J.  N.  Baskett 
took  a  male  and  female  at  Mexico,  Mo.,  and  saw  small  flocks  on 
two.  other  occasions.  A  party  of  three  paid  a  visit  to  Dr.  A.  F. 
Eimbeck  at  New  Haven,  Mo.,  from  September  21  to  October  4, 
1903.  Mr.  W.  E.  Praeger  says  that  a  flock  was  seen  and  some 
of  them  shot,  December  14,  1887,  in  Clark  Co.,  Mo.  Two  were 
taken  at  Belleville,  111.,  by  Mr.  Fuchs  and  others  by  Mr.  Chas. 
K.  Worthen  at  Warsaw,  111.,  where  several  were  shot  out  of  a 
flock,  five  miles  below  the  city  on  the  river  bluff.  In  the  Auk, 
vol.  4,  1887,  Mr.  L.  0.  Pindar  reports  the  occurrence  at  Hickman, 
Ky.,  on  the  Mississippi  River  between  Cairo  and  New  Madrid; 
one  female  was  found  dead  March  18,  1887,  another  was  shot 
March  22,  a  fine  male  March  23,  and  a  flock  of  seven  seen  in  town 
March  25. 

[515.  PINICOLAENUCLEATORLEUCURA(M tiller).    Pine  Grosbeak.] 

Loxiaenucleator.  Pyrrhulaenucleator.  Cwyihusenudeator.  Pinicola  enu- 
deator.  Pinicola  canadensis.  Pinicola  enucleator  canadensis.  Canadian 
Pine  Grosbeak. 

Geog.  Dist.— Northeastern  North  America,  breeding  from  the 
White  Mountains,  Maine  and  New  Brunswick  north  to  the  limits 
of  coniferous  forests;  south  in  winter  to  New  England,  New 
York,  New  Jersey,  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Iowa  and  Nebraska; 
occasionally  farther  south  to  eastern  Kansas,  western  Kentucky, 
District  of  Columbia. 

As  this  species  is  said  to  be  fond  of  the  fruit  of  the  Red  Cedar, 
it  should  be  looked  for  in  the  extensive  cedar  brakes  of  southern 
Missouri;  its  presence  may  be  expected  any  time  between 
October  and  April.  It  has  been  captured  at  our  state  lines 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  167 

both  in  the  east  and -west.  In  the  Auk,  vol.  5,  1888,  Mr.  L.  0. 
Pindar  reports  the  occurrence  of  a  flock  of  8  or  10  Pine  Groskeaks 
at  Hickman,  Ky.,  February  7,  1888.  On  the  8th,  llth,  and  13th 
they  were  again  seen,  and  on  the  24th  one  male  and  three  females 
were  secured.  On  the  25th  another  female  was  shot  and  3  or 
4  females  were  seen  March  19th.  The  Kansas  record  is  taken 
from  Snow,  "  Birds  of  Kansas,"  3rd  ed.,  1875,  where  it  is  said 
that  according  to  Dr.  Brewer  this  species  was  taken  once  in 
winter  at  Leavenworth  by  Sidney  Smith. 

517.  CARPODACUS  PURPUREUS  (Gmel.).     Purple  Finch. 

Fringilla  purpurea.     Erythrospiza  purpurea. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America;  breeding  from  Penn- 
sylvania (in  mountains),  northern  New  Jersey,  Connecticut, 
southern  Ontario,  Minnesota  and  North  Dakota  to  the  Gulf  of 
St.  Lawrence,  Hudson  Bay,  Saskatchewan  and  Alberta.  In 
winter  from  eastern  Nebraska,  Indiana  and  New  Jersey  south- 
ward to  Florida  and  eastern  Texas. 

In  Missouri  a  common  transient  visitant  and  not  a  rare,  but 
irregular,  winter  resident,  much  more  common  in  eastern  than 
in  western  Missouri.  Their  presence  in  winter  is  not  so  much 
dependent  on  temperature  as  on  abundance  of  favorite  food, 
which  they  find  chiefly  in  the  river  bottoms,  as  Ash  and  Syca- 
more seeds,  buds  and  seeds  of  Elm  and  Maple,  Ambrosia  seeds, 
etc.  Migratory  movements  begin  with  the  first  warm  weather 
in  February,  when  the  hardiest  sparrows,  Bluebirds,  Robins, 
Redwings,  Ducks,  Geese,  etc.,  advance  northward.  About 
March  10  migration  becomes  brisk  and  during  the  rest  of  the 
month  and  until  April  20  large  flocks  of  singing  birds  are  present. 
The  last  birds,  chiefly  females  and  young  males,  are  usually 
noted  during  the  last  week  of  April,  sometimes  in  the  first  week 
of  May,  or  in  very  backward  springs  as  that  of  1907  until  May 
19  (St.  Louis).  The  first  appear  in  fall  migration  about  Sep- 
tember 20,  become  common  in  the  first  week  of  October  and  re- 
main so  to  the  end  of  the  month,  roaming  about  in  small  flocks 
and  singing  often.  After  the  first  week  of  November  winter 
numbers  only  are  left. 

521.  LOXIA  CURVIROSTRA  MINOR  (Brehm).    American  Crossbill. 

Loxia  curvirostra.     Loxia  americana.     Loxia  curvirostra  americana. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  and  Eastern  North  America ;  breeding 
in  coniferous  forests  from  southern  Alleghanies  in  northern 


168  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Georgia  and  from  Michigan  and  Wisconsin  northward  to  Nova 
Scotia  and  westward  through  Athabasca  and  Saskatchewan  to 
western  Alaska  and  southward  through  Pacific  coast  districts 
to  western  Oregon.  In  winter  irregularly  southward  as  far 
south  as  Louisiana,  South  Carolina,  casually  to  the  Bermudas. 

In  Missouri  a  sometimes  common  but  irregular  transient  and 
winter  visitant,  appearing  in  November  and  disappearing  in 
May,  oftenest  met  with  from  February  22  to  April  1  and  about 
the  middle  of  November.  Once  seen  in  summer  at  Old  Orchard. 
They  move  in  small  flocks  and  are  attracted  to  our  parks  and 
gardens  by  the  ornamental  pines,  chiefly  Pinus  austriaca, 
the  seeds  of  which  they  like  very  much.  They  also  eat  apples 
left  on  trees,  feed  on  buds  of  Elms,  seeds  of  Ambrosia  trifida, 
etc.  Their  occurrence  is  reported  from  all  parts  of  the  state. 
Four  males  and  one  female  were  taken  at  St.  Joseph,  December 
26,  1894,  by  Mr.  S.  S.  Wilson.  Mr.  Chas.  Tindall  says  they  are 
sometimes  common  at  Independence.  Dr.  A.  F.  Eimbeck 
observed  them  on  different  occasions  at  New  Haven,  October 
5  to  16, 1903.  Five  were  shot  from  a  flock  of  fifteen  February  17, 
1889,  near  Keokuk;  Mr.  Chas.  K.  Worthen  took  this  and  the 
White-winged  Crossbill  at  Warsaw,  111.  Mr.  E.  Seymour 
Woodruff  saw  Crossbills  in  Shannon  Co.,  April  3,  1907,  and  heard 
them  again  April  4.  On  May  5  he  writes:  " Small  numbers  are 
seen  or  heard  every  few  days.  Last  seen  May  1st.  Their 
organs  show  no  signs  of  any  possibility  of  breeding  for  some  time 
to  come." 

522.  LOXIA  LEUCOPTERA  Gmel.    White-winged  Crossbill. 

Curvirostra    leucoptera. 

Geog.  Dist. — Coniferous  forests  of  northern  North  America, 
south  to  Prince  Edward  Island,  New  Brunswick,  Maine,  New 
Hampshire  (White  Mountains),  New  York  (Adirondacks), 
Mackinac  Island ;  in  winter  irregularly  as  far  south  as  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.,  Cincinnati,  Indianapolis,  Bloomington,  Ind.,  southern 
Illinois,  Kansas,  Colorado,  Nevada,  British  Columbia  etc., 
also  to  Greenland  and  western  Europe. 

There  is  little  doubt  that  careful  search  will  bring  to  light  its 
presence  in  Missouri  during  its  extensive  wandering  in  winter. 
Mr.  Chas.  K.  Worthen  took  several  out  of  a  small  flock  on  the 
Mississippi  bluffs  near  Warsaw  opposite  the  northeastern  corner 
of  Missouri  and  an  adult  male  was  taken  November  4,  1899, 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  169 

near  Lawrence,  Kanv  within  fifty  miles  of  our  western  state  line. 
Since  the  above  was  written  Mr.  E.  Seymour  Woodruff  secured 
a   female  from  among  American  Crossbills   in  Shannon  Co., 
April  18, 1907. 

528.  ACANTHIS  LIN  ARIA  (Linn.).    Redpoll. 

Fringilla  linaria.     Aegiothus  linaria.     Linaria  minor.     Aegiothus  fusces- 
cens. 

Geog.  Dist. — More  northern  portions  of  northern  hemisphere; 
breeding  from  the  islands  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  northward. 
In  winter  to  northern  United  States,  irregularly  to  Virginia, 
northern  Alabama,  southern  Ohio  and  Indiana,  Missouri,  Kansas, 
Colorado,  southeastern  Oregon  and  coast  of  Washington. 

In  Missouri  an  irregular,  sometimes  fairly  common,  winter 
visitant.  Earliest  dates,  November  4  and  5,  1885,  Mt.  Carmel; 
November  18,  1903,  New  Haven.  Latest  dates  April  1,  1885, 
April  8,  1886,  Mt.  Carmel  and  April  12,  1903,  Montgomery  City. 
The  species  is  also  reported  from  Kansas  City,  February  21,  to 
24,  1882,  and  repeatedly  from  Keokuk  where  it  is  sometimes 
abundant.  It  has  on  several  occasions  been  met  with  in  the 
city  of  St.  Louis,  visiting  gardens,  feeding  on  the  seeds  of  com- 
positae,  chiefly  in  January  and  February.  There  are  at  present 
no  records  from  southern  Missouri. 

*529.  ASTRAGALINUS  TRiSTis  (Linn.).    American  Goldfinch. 

Fringilla   tristis.     Spinus   tristis.     Cardudis   tristis.     Chrysomitris   tristis. 
Carduelis  americana.     Wild  Canary.     Thistle-bird.     Salad-bird. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  breeding  from  Virginia, 
Kentucky  and  Kansas  northward  to  Newfoundland,  Labrador, 
Quebec,  Ontario  and  Manitoba;  west  to  Alberta,  Wyoming 
and  Colorado;  south  in  winter  to  southern  United  States,  some 
remaining  even  in  the  northern  states  and  Ontario. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  summer  resident  in  open  districts, 
rare  in  the  more  densely  wooded  portions  of  the  state.  For 
nesting  it  prefers  the  neighborhood  of  human  habitation  from 
the  middle  of  May  to  the  end  of  August  but  likes  to  rove  in  troops 
the  remainder  of  the  year.  It  is  also  not  a  rare,  but  irregular, 
winter  visitant  in  small  troops,  associated  with  other  fringil- 
lidae  such  as  Tree  Sparrows,  Purple  Finches,  Juncos,  in  migra- 
tion, also  with  Yellow-rumped  Warblers,  Pine  Piskins  and 
others.  It  feeds  preferably  on  seeds  of  composites,  but  also  on 


170  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Sycamore,  Ash,  Boxelder,  etc.,  and  needing  much  water  is  oftener 
seen  drinking  than  any  other  sparrow.  It  is  most  common  and 
generally  distributed  as  a  transient  visitant.  Those  seen  before 
April  20  are  mostly  individuals  which  have  passed  the  winter 
with  us  and  are  becoming  more  conspicuous,  assuming  slowly 
their  summer  dress  and  beginning  to  sing.  Real  migration 
reaches  us  with  great  regularity  about  April  20  and  lasts  three 
weeks  to  May  10,  exceptionally  later  as  in  the  cold  spring  of  1907, 
May  20.  During  this  time  Goldfinches  are  with  us  in  flocks  of 
from  30  to  60,  mostly  in  high  dress  and  very  musical,  assembling 
in  treetops  and  concerting  like  Bobolinks  or  Blackbirds,  all  be- 
ginning or  breaking  off  at  the  same  moment.  After  the  middle 
of  May  transients  are  gone  and  summer  residents  are  seen  in 
pairs,  but  it  takes  them  some  time  to  locate  and  settle  down. 
When  the  young  are  grown  the  family  begins  to  roam  and  gather 
into  small  flocks  about  the  middle  of  September.  October  1 
migration  from  the  north  reaches  us  and  lasts  throughout  the 
month,  sometimes  in  big  flocks,  frequenting  the  same  localities 
for  resting  as  in  spring.  Soon  after  November  1  winter  numbers 
only  are  left,  wandering  in  search  of  food  over  most  of  the  state, 
but  oftenest  found  in  the  flood  plains  of  the  Mississippi  and 
Missouri  Rivers  and  in  the  southeast. 

533.  SPINUS  PINUS  (Wils.).    Pine  Siskin. 

Fringilla  pinus.     Carduelis  pinus.     Chrysomitris  pinus.     Linaria  pinus. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America  generally,  breeding  in  the  north- 
ern coniferous  forests  south  to  parts  of  New  England,  Hudson 
Valley,  on  mountains  south  to  North  Carolina,  to  Minnesota, 
and  on  the  western  ranges  to  the  southern  boundary  of  the 
United  States.  In  winter  chiefly  in  the  southern  United  States, 
California  and  into  Mexico. 

In  Missouri  a  rather  irregular  transient  visitant,  sometimes 
seen  in  winter,  but  most  records  are  about  the  first  of  November 
and  in  the  latter  part  of  April.  Latest  date  May  15,  1897, 
when  Mr.  Currier  saw  a  flock  of  ten  near  Keokuk.  They  gener- 
ally move  in  small  flocks  by  themselves  and  associate  on  the 
feeding  grounds  with  Goldfinches,  Purple  Finches,  Myrtle 
Warblers,  etc.  Small  troops  of  them  have  been  reported  from 
St.  Joseph  by  Mr.  S.  S.  Wilson,  April  4  and  7,  1896,  and  from 
Fayette  by  Prof.  Kilpatrick  in  January  and  February  1885. 
Since  the  above  was  written  the  extraordinary  cold  spring  of 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  171 

1907  revolutionized  migration  dates  generally  and  those  of  the 
Siskin  in  particular.  On  May  13  the  first  Siskins  were  noticed 
at  St.  Louis  among  the  large  number  of  Goldfinches  present  at 
their  old  stands  which  they  regularly  visit  every  year  and  which 
they  frequented  this  year  ten  days  longer  than  usual,  namely 
to  May  20.  From  May  16  to  23  inclusive,  flocks  of  from  30  to 
50  Siskins  were  found  associated  with  the  Goldfinches  at  three 
of  those  stands,  and  even  after  the  bulk  of  the  Goldfinches  had 
gone  the  Siskins  remained  and  their  song  could  then  be  heard 
often.  They  were  exceedingly  tame,  did  much  of  their  feeding 
on  the  ground  and  came  to  the  water  as  frequently  as  the  Gold- 
finches. In  the  pine  region  of  Shannon  Co.  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff 
did  not  find  Siskins  before  April  28,  29  and  30,  1907,  and  a  flock 
of  from  8  to  12,  on  May  13.  At  Grandin  he  found  small  flocks 
still  present  on  May  16  and  17  and  saw  one  fly  by  June  4,  1907, 
ten  miles  north  of  Grandin. 

CARDUELIS  CARDUELIS  (Linn.).    Goldfinch. 

Fringilla  carduelis.     Carduelis  elegans. 

Geog.  Dist. — Europe  in  general  except  extreme  northern  por- 
tions; south,  in  winter,  to  Palestine  and  Egypt.  Introduced 
into  northeastern  United  States  and  naturalized  in  Cuba,  in 
New  York  City  and  vicinity,  and  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  accidental(?) 
at  New  Haven,  Conn.,  near  Boston,  Worcester,  etc.,  Mass., 
Toronto,  Ont.,  etc. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1870  a  few  pairs  of  Goldfinches  were 
introduced  into  Missouri  with  other  European  songsters  and 
liberated  in  Lafayette  Park  at  St.  Louis  in  April  after  the  weather 
had  become  warm.  Like  most  of  the  other  birds  liberated  at 
the  same  time  the  Goldfinches  left  the  Park  almost  immediately 
and  the  writer  never  heard  of  the  occurrence  of  any  European 
Goldfinches  in  Missouri  until  the  following  article  appeared  in 
the  St.  Louis  Post-Dispatch:  "Liberty,  Mo.,  June  2,  1906. 
A  pair  of  goldfinches  made  their  appearance  in  the  courthouse 
yard  here  and  the  ' prophets'  are  unanimous  in  the  opinion 
that  they  are  the  forerunners  of  an  extra  hot  and  dry  summer. 
It  is  the  first  time  in  twenty  years  that  this  species  has  been  seen 
here.  The  birds  got  their  name  from  a  large  patch  of  yellow 
on  their  wings.  The  front  of  the  head  and  throat  are  bright 
red,  the  nape,  with  part  of  the  wings  and  tail,  black." 


172  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

PASSER  DOMESTICUS  (Linn.).    House  Sparrow. 

Fringilla  domestica.     English  House  Sparrow. 

Geog.  Dist. — Europe  except  Italy.  Introduced  into  United 
States,  where  thoroughly  and  ineradicably  naturalized  in  all 
settled  districts;  also  Bahamas,  Cuba,  Nova  Scotia,  Bermuda 
and  southern  Greenland.  A  resident  wherever  it  occurs. 

In  Missouri  wherever  there  are  houses  occupied  by  human 
beings. 

PASSER  MONTANUS  (Linn.).    European  Tree  Sparrow. 

Fringilla  montana.     Pyrgita  montana. 

Geog.  Dist. — Europe  and  Asia  to  China  and  Japan. 

In  America  only  in  the  neighborhood  of  St.  Louis  where  it 
was  introduced  in  1870.  It  has  left  the  thickly  settled  parts 
St.  Louis  but  is  found  scatteringly  throughout  the  outskirts  and 
suburbs,  spreading  to  neighboring  cities,  Alton,  Grafton,  and 
Belleville,  111.,  to  Creve  Coeur  Lake,  St.  Charles,  and  westward 
as  far  as  Washington,|54  miles  from  St.  Louis  (September  1906). 

534.  PASSERINA  NIVALIS  (Linn.).    Snowflake. 

Emberiza   nivalis.     Plectrophanes   nivalis.     Plectrophenax   nivalis.     Snow- 
bird. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  parts  of  northern  hemisphere,  breeding 
in  arctic  and  subarctic  regions.  In  America  breeding  in  the 
barren  ground  or  tundra  region  from  Ungava  to  Alaska  and 
islands  to  lat.  82°;  in  winter  south  to  northern  United  States, 
irregularly  to  District  of  Columbia,  Georgia,  southern  Ohio, 
southern  Indiana,  Kansas,  Colorado,  eastern  Oregon. 

In  Missouri  an  apparently  rare  winter  visitant  as  far  south  as 
the  Missouri  River.  First  reported  from  Audrain  Co.  by  Mrs. 
Musick  of  Mt.  Carmel,  December  22,  1884;  four  days  later  the 
species  became  common;  the  last  were  seen,  March  24,  1885. 
Mr.  E.  S.  Currier  met  with  a  flock  of  fifty  in  one  of  the  roads 
leading  out  of  Keokuk,  la.,  January  17,  1887.  Mr.  E.  M. 
Parker  of  Montgomery  City  found  the  Snowflakes  December 
17,  1901,  and  again  in  January  on  7,  11,  25  and  31,  1902. 
Mr.  Chas.  Tindall  of  Independence  saw  one  on  a  sandbar  in  the 
Missouri  River  November  8,  1892.  Mr.  Trippe  in  his  Birds  of 
Decatur  Co.,  la.,  just  north  of  central  Missouri  state  line,  says 
in  1872:  "A  few  every  winter;  abundant  in  severe  seasons." 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  173 

536.  CALCARIUS  LAPPONICUS  (Linn.).     Lapland  Longspur. 

Fringilla  lapponica.     Emberiza  lapponica.     Plectrophanes  lapponica.     Cen- 
trophanes  lapponicus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  parts  of  northern  hemisphere;  breeding 
in  arctic  and  subarctic  regions.  In  North  America  chiefly  in 
northeast,  including  Greenland,  Melville  peninsula  and  Cumber- 
land Sound,  Ungava  etc.  In  winter  south  to  Virginia,  South 
Carolina,  Kentucky,  Missouri,  Indian  Territory  and  Texas; 
west  to  Nebraska,  Colorado,  Wyoming,  where  it  comes  together 
with  the  western  subspecies,  C.  I.  alascensis. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  and  pretty  regular  winter  visitant, 
appearing  from  the  north  in  November  and  remaining  until 
March.  Earliest,  November  2,  1885,  Mt.  Carmel;  latest, 
March  31,  1889,  Fayette.  They  move  in  flocks  of  different  size, 
sometimes  very  large,  or  in  company  with  Horned  Larks,  and 
frequent  the  wind-swept  hillsides  of  the  Ozark  border  as  well  as 
the  low  marshes  of  the  river  bottoms  or  fields  and  meadows  of 
the  prairie  region.  Mr.  John  D.  Kastendieck,  who  took  some 
in  Christian  Co.,  considers  them  rare  in  his  vicinity.  Mr.  Chas. 
T.  Eimbeck,  who  has  a  number  of  mounted  specimens  in  his 
collection,  finds  them  common  in  some  winters,  rare  in  others  at 
New  Haven,  Mo.  Mr.  Tindall  reports  a  flock  of  a  dozen  at  Inde- 
pendence, November  10,  1901.  Flocks  of  this  species  along  our 
western  border  should  be  carefully  examined,  as  they  may  con- 
tain McCown's  or  Chestnut-collared  Longspurs  and  Missouri 
Skylarks. 

537.  CALCARIUS  PICTUS  (Swains.).    Smith's  Longspur. 

Emberiza    picta.     Plectrophanes    pictus.     Centrophanes    pictus.     Emberiza 
smithii. 

Geog.  Dist. — Interior  plains  of  North  America  east  of  Rocky 
Mountains;  breeding  in  the  Mackenzie  River  valley  from  the 
Arctic  coast  south  to  the  Great  Slave  Lake  and  west  to  the 
upper  Yukon;  south  in  winter  as  far  as  Texas;  east  to  north- 
western Indiana  and  Illinois. 

In  Missouri  observed  only  in  the  Mississippi  bottom  of  northern 
Missouri,  where  probably  of  regular  occurrence,  but  should  be 
looked  for  also  on  higher  ground  in  all  parts  of  the  state,  as  it 
was  taken  at  Fayetteville  in  the  Ozark  region  of  northern  Ar- 
kansas, February  28, 1885,  and  at  Lincoln,  southeastern  Nebraska 
April  20,  1891.  It  is  given  as  a  common  winter  resident  in  Kan- 


174  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

sas.^Audubon,  Harris  and  Bell  found  it  very  abundant  on  the 
lowjf  prairie  near  a  lake  a  few  miles  from  Edwardsville,  111.,  in 
April  1843.  Mr.  E.  S.  Currier  regards  it  as  a  regular  spring 
migrant  and  sometimes  in  fall  at  Keokuk.  Mr.  W.  E.  Praeger 
has  three  records  of  its  occurrence  in  Clark  Co.,  Mo.,  in  the  second 
and  third  week  of  April.  The  writer  met  with  it  April  12,  1894, 
in  Lincoln  Co.  (Auk,  vol.  12,  p.  7).  April  and  October  seem  to 
be  the  months,  when  we  can  expect  it  in  Missouri.  Mr.  W.  W. 
Cooke  found  it  wintering  at  Caddo,  Ind.  Ter.,  34°  11'  lat.,  from 
the  middle  of  November  to  the  end  of  February.  Mr.  Otho  C. 
Poling  of  Quincy,  111.,  calls  it  (Auk,  vol.  7,  p.  240)  a  regular 
spring  and  fall  -migrant,  seemingly  more  plentiful  in  the  fall  than 
in  the  spring,  sojourning  from  early  October  until  the  middle 
of  November,  frequenting  stubble  fields  of  oats  and  wheat  with 
short  grass  and  weeds.  He  also  found  large  flocks  on  the  low- 
land a,bout  Lima  Lake,  lying  closely  in  the  short  grass. 

538.  CALCARIUS  ORNATUS  (Towns.).  Chestnut-collared  Long- 
spur. 

Plectrophanes  ornatus.     Centrophanes  ornatus.     Emberiza  ornata.     Plectro- 
phanes  melanomus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Great  Plains  of  North  America,  breeding  from 
Kansas  and  Colorado  north  to  the  Saskatchewan.  In  winter  to 
Arizona  and  Mexico. 

The  only  record  of  its  occurrence  in  Missouri  is  that  of  W.  E. 
D.  Scott,  who  found  it  rather  common  during  April,  1874, 
on  the  prairies  west  of  Warrensburg,  Johnson  Co.  Dr.  E.  Coues 
writes  that  it  associates  intimately  with  P.  pictus,  Smith's 
Longspur,  and  has  much  the  same  habits  and  general  appearance. 

[539.  RHYNCHOPHANES  MCCOWNII    (Lawr.).     McCown's   Long- 
spur.] 

Plectrophanes  mccownii. 

Geog.  Dist. — Great  Plains  district  of  North  America,  breeding 
from  eastern  Colorado  and  northwestern  Kansas  northward  to 
plains  of  the  Saskatchewan;  south  in  winter  to  northern  Mexico, 
Arizona,  New  Mexico  and  Texas;  casual  to  Illinois. 

The  Illinois  record  comes  from  Champaign  where  in  January, 
1877,  three  specimens  were  taken  with  Lapland  Longspurs. 
This  species  may  be  expected  to  occur  as  a  migrant  or  winter 
visitant  any  time  between  September  first  and  May  first  and 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  175 

should  be  looked  for  in  western  Missouri,  as  it  has  been  secured 
several  times  in  eastern  Nebraska.  Dr.  E.  Coues  says  that 5 it 
has  been  observed  usually  in  company  with  P.  ornatus,  and  Dr. 
J.  A.  Allen  writes:  "In  habits,  notes  and  general  appearance, 
it  is  scarcely  distinguishable,  at  a  little  distance,  from  the  Chest- 
nut-collared Bunting." 

*540.  POOECETES  GRAMINEUS  (Gmel.).    Vesper  Sparrow. 

Fringilla  graminea.     Emberiza  graminea.     Zonotrichia  graminea.     Poocetes 
gramineus.     Bay-winged  Bunting.     Grassfinch.     Ground  Sparrow. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  more  southern  British 
provinces ;  breeding  from  Virginia  and  northern  Missouri  north- 
ward. Winters  in  Southern  States  to  eastern  Texas. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant  and  a  scarce 
or  only  locally  common  summer  resident  according  to  some  ob- 
servers in  the  prairie  region  north  and  west.  Mr.  S.  S.  Wilson 
took  eggs  of  this  species  June  15,  1895,  at  St.  Joseph;  Mr.  Prier 
says  it  is  a  very  common  breeder  at  Appleton  City;  Mr.  E.  M. 
Parker  reports  it  breeding  in  Montgomery  Co.  In  his  list  of 
Warrensburg  birds,  made  in  1874,  W.  E.  D.  Scott  gives  this 
species  as  breeding,  but  Mr.  Aubrey  F.  Smithson's  list  of  War- 
rensburg breeders,  1906,  does  riot  corroborate  that  statement, 
neither  did  Mr.  Chas.  W.  Tindall  find  it  breeding  near  Independ- 
ence. On  the  cottonfields  of  the  southeast  the  first  transients 
appear  early  in  March;  in  central  Missouri  about  March  15r 
in  the  most  northern  counties  seldom  before  April.  They  are 
never  very  common,  but  may  be  met  with  in  small  troops  along 
the  edges  of  woods  or  timbered  creeks  nearly  throughout  April, 
most  commonly  between  the  10th  and  20th.  In  fall  the  bulk  of 
transients  passes  through  Missouri  in  the  second  half  of  October, 
though  loiterers  have  been  noted  late  in  November  (November  20, 
1902,  Jasper  Co.,  November  20,  1894,  Keokuk).  In  Shannon 
Co.,  where  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff  found  the  first,  March  19,  none 
were  seen  after  April  7. 

*542a.  PASSERCULUS  SANDWICHENSIS  SAVANNA  (Wils.).    Savanna 
Sparrow. 

Fringilla    savanna.     Passerculus    savanna.     Emberiza    savanna.     Ammo- 
dramus  sandwichensis  savanna. 

Geog.   Dist.— Eastern  North  America,  breeding  from  Con- 
necticut, Pennsylvania,  Ontario,  northwestern  Indiana  northward 


176  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

to  Ungava,  west  side  of  Hudson  Bay,  etc.  Winters  in  the 
Southern  States,  Bahamas,  Cuba.  Replaced  westwardly  by 
subspecies  alaudinus  (Bonaparte). 

In  Missouri  a  common  transient  visitant  from  the  middle  of 
March  to  the  first  week  of  May  and  again  from  early  in  September 
to  late  in  November,  but  chiefly  in  April  and  October.  It  was 
found  breeding  May  27,  1874,  by  W.  E.  D.  Scott,  near  Warrens- 
burg,  where  it  was  rather  common  in  the  spring  of  1874.  Mr. 
Nehrling  found  it  breeding  at  Pierce  City,  Mo.  (W.  W.  Cooke), 
and  Mr.  R.  Ridgway  at  Mount  Carmel  in  southern  Illinois,  the 
nests  being  in  damp  meadows;  he  also  took  some  there  in  the 
middle  of  winter.  That  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff  found  not  only  the 
Vesper  Sparrow,  but  also  the  Savanna  Sparrow  common  on 
meadows  at  Eudy,  Shannon  Co.,  in  the  midst  of  the  heavily 
wooded  Ozark  hills  is  interesting  as  it  shows  that  even  such  birds 
usually  associated  with  open  country  do  not  follow  river  valleys 
or  certain  prescribed  migration  routes,  but  fly  broadcast  across 
the  land,  whether  high  or  low,  wooded  or  open.  He  found  the 
first  March  19,  and  they  became  common  April  28,  remaining 
so  for  a  whole  week. 

542b.  PASSERCULUS  SANDWICHENSIS  ALAUDINUS  (Bonap.).    Wes- 
tern Savanna    Sparrow. 

Passerculus    alaudinus.     Passerculus    savanna    alaudinus.     Ammodramus 
sandwichensis  alaudinus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  North  America;  breeding  from  north- 
western Alaska  to  southern  portion  of  Mexican  tableland  and 
from  the  Plains  to  the  Pacific.  In  migration  east  to  eastern 
Nebraska.  Winters  from  the  valleys  of  the  western  United 
States  and  Mexico  to  Guatemala. 

While  collecting  in  Shannon  Co.  in  spring  1907,  Mr.  E.  Seymour 
Woodruff  met  with  Savanna  Sparrows,  March  19  and  22,  taking 
specimens  which  proved  to  be  this  subspecies.  On  May  5  he 
wrote  that  he  found  the  species  again  on  April  25  and  considered 
it  common  on  and  after  April  28  in  meadows  at  Eudy,  Shannon 
Co. 

545.  COTURNICULUS  BAIRDII  (Aud.).    BaircTs  Sparrow. 

Emberiza  bairdii.     Ammodramus  bairdii.     Centronyx   bairdi.     Passerculus 
bairdi.     Centronyx  ochrocephalus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Great  Plains  of  North  America;  breeding  from 
western  Minnesota,  North  Dakota,  eastern  Montana  north  to 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  177 

Assiniboia  and  Manitpba;  south  during  migration  to  Texas, 
New  Mexico,  Arizona,  northern  Mexico;  west  to  eastern  Wash- 
ington; east  to  Iowa  and  Missouri. 

Was  met  with  in  St.  Charles  Co.,  October  18,  1894  (Auk,  vol. 
12,  p.  219),  and  in  St.  Louis  Co.,  near  Old  Orchard,  March  17, 
1895.  Was  also  taken  by  Mr.  S.  S.  Wilson  at  St.  Joseph,  March 
24  and  May  25,  1895,  and  March  21,  1896.  It  is  a  regular  spring 
and  fall  migrant  at  Grinnell  in  central  Iowa  (April  25,  1885,  and 
March  24  to  April  20,  1886;  October  4  to  16,  1886)  and  is  prob- 
ably not  a  very  rare  transient  visitant  in  Missouri,  but  easily 
overlooked  when  in  company  with  other  sparrows,  such  as 
Spizella  monticola  along  the  edge  of  woods  in  March,  or  Savanna 
Sparrows,  etc.  along  the  lakes  and  sloughs  of  the  marsh  land  in 
the  river  bottoms. 


*546.  COTURNICULUS  SAV  ANN  ARUM  PASSERiNUS  (Wils.).    Grass- 
hopper  Sparrow. 

Fringilla  savannarum.  Fringilla  passerina.  Emberiza  passerina.  Cotur- 
niculus  passerinus.  Ammodramus  passerinus.  Ammodramus  savan- 
narum. Cricket  Bird. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  more  southern 
British  provinces;  west  to  edge  of  Plains;  north  to  Maine, 
New  Hampshire,  Ontario,  Michigan,  Wisconsin  etc.  Winters 
south  of  United  States  in  Cuba,  Yucatan  and  Gulf  coast  of 
Mexico. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  summer  resident  in  the  prairie 
and  Ozark  border  region.  The  first  arrive  in  southern  Missouri 
about  the  middle  of  April  (earliest  April  10,  1902,  Jasper  Co.); 
in  northern  Missouri  usually  after  April  20  and  become  common 
during  the  last  week  of  April  or,  in  some  years,  only  in  the  first 
week  of  May,  when  they  are  sometimes  numerous  enough  to 
suggest  the  presence  of  transient  visitants.  While  their  singing 
betrays  them  easily  in  spring  their  silence  in  autumn  causes  them 
to  be  observed  with  difficulty  and  the  dates  of  "last  seen"  vary 
from  the  latter  part  of  August  through  September  to  October  31 ; 
there  is  even  a  record  of  November  15,  1902,  from  Jasper,  but 
this,  as  well  as  one  of  March  21,  1896,  from  St.  Joseph,  must  be 
regarded  as  quite  exceptional.  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff  found  them 
common  in  meadows  at  Eudy,  Shannon  Co.,  April  25,  1907,  and, 
finding  them  still  present  May  13,  and  at  Grandin,  Carter  Co., 
June  3, 1907,  considers  them  breeders  in  that  region. 


178  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

546a.  COTURNICULUS  SAV  ANN  ARUM  BIMACULATUS   (Swains.)- 
Western  Grasshopper  Sparrow. 

Ammodramus  bimaculatus.     Coturniculus  passerinus  perpallidus.     Ammo- 
dramus  savannarum  perpallidus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  United  States  and  Mexican  tableland. 
East  to  Minnesota,  Iowa  and  eastern  Kansas.  South  to  Guate- 
mala and  Costa  Rica. 

After  comparing  the  Grasshopper  Sparrows,  which  Mr.  E. 
Seymour  Woodruff  captured  in  southern  Missouri  in  March  and 
April  1907,  he  comes  to  the  conclusion  that  they  are  rather 
intermediates,  but  nearer  to  bimaculatus,  "  having  smaller  bills, 
more  chestnut  and  less  black  on  their  backs  than  the  eastern  bird." 

*547.  AMMODRAMUS  HENSLOWII  (Aud.).    Henslow's  Sparrow. 

Emberiza  henslowii.     Fringilla  lienslowii.     Coturniculus  henslowii.     Hens- 
low's  Bunting. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  north  to  New  Hampshire, 
New  York,  Ontario,  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  etc.,  breeding  south 
to  lat  38°,  west  to  eastern  Kansas.  Winters  in  the  southern 
states  from  Florida  to  Texas. 

In  Missouri  a  locally  common  summer  resident  in  marshes  and 
wet  meadows,  probably  of  general  distribution  throughout  the 
prairie  and  Ozark  border  regions,  but  easily  overlooked.  It 
has  been  found  nesting  in  damp  fields  in  St.  Louis  Co.  and  in  the 
marshes  of  St.  Charles  Co.  It  is  reported  as  a  breeder  in  the 
Mississippi  river  bottom  along  the  state  line  from  Quincy,  War- 
saw and  Keokuk.  Audubon  met  with  it  May  9,  1843,  near  the 
northwest  corner  of  Missouri  and  Mr.  W.  E.  D.  Scott  found  it 
common  and  breeding  June  1  to  10,  1874,  at  Warrensburg. 
Mr.  Chas.  Tindall  also  found  it  common  at  Independence.  It 
reaches  the  breeding  grounds  in  Missouri  during  the  latter  half 
of  April  and  remains  with  us  until  late  in  October.  The  earliest 
date  in  spring  migration  is  contributed  by  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff, 
who  took  one  in  Shannon  Co.,  March  19,  1907.  To  detect  it  in 
early  spring  and  summer  one  has  only  to  be  in  its  haunts  before 
sunrise,  when  sitting  on  weed  stalks  it  utters  its  peculiar  "se- 
wick"  incessantly  until  the  sun  is  well  up  in  the  sky.  It  is  also 
heard  before  nightfall,  but  during  the  day  its  song  is  given  only 
at  long  intervals,  especially  on  warm  days  and  when  feeding  the 
young  in  the  nest.  Like  its  cousins,  the  Henslow's  Sparrow 
lies  very  close  and  flies  quite  a  distance  before  alighting  in  the 
tangled  grass,  in  which  it  escapes  by  running  and  hiding. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.   179 
*518.  AMMODRAMUS  LECONTEII  (Aud.).     Leconte's  Sparrow. 

Emberiza  leconteii.     FringiUa  caudacuta.     Coturniculus  leconteii. 

Geog.  Dist. — Prairie  marshes  of  Mississippi  Valley  and  Cen- 
tral British  Provinces;  breeding  from  Minnesota  and  South  Da- 
kota to  Manitoba  and  Assiniboia.  Winters  in  the  Gulf  States, 
Florida  to  Texas;  coast  of  South  Carolina,  occasionally  North 
Carolina,  Indiana,  Missouri,  etc. 

In  Missouri  a  regular  and  locally  common  transient  visitant 
spring  and  fall.  It  is  plentiful  in  the  marshes  of  the  Mississippi 
bottom  in  the  latter  part  of  September,  some  being  still  there  at 
the  end  of  December  (December  29,  1896,  Osprey),  but  October 
is  the  month  when  it  is  most  numerous.  It  is  again  with  us 
from  the  middle  of  March  (March  14,  1889,.  male  taken  by  Mr. 
0.  C.  Poling  at  Quincy)  to  April  20.  Possibly  also  a  rare  summer 
resident  as  it  was  found  July  26,  1887,  by  Mr.  Brown,  and  in 
immature  plumage  in  August  by  Mr.  Poling.  Mr.  Chas.  K. 
Worthen  also  noted  its  occurrence  in  summer  near  Warsaw. 
Though  most  of  the  records  of  occurrence  are  from  the  Mississippi 
bottom,  the  species  seems  to  frequent  also  the  Missouri  bottoms, 
as  Mr.  Tindall  reports  it  common  in  migration  at  Independence. 
It  has  been  repeatedly  met  with  on  stubble  fields  on  hilly  ground 
in  St.  Louis  Co.,  which  belongs  to  the  Ozark  border  subregion, 
and  is  probably  not  entirely  absent  in  suitable  localities  of  the 
Ozark  region,  having  been  found  at  Fayetteville,  Ark.,  February 
28,  1885,  impaled  by  a  Shrike. 


[549.1.  AMMODRAMUS  NELSONI  (Allen).  Nelson's  Sparrow.] 

Ammodramus  caudacutus  nelsoni.     Ammodramus  caudacutus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Prairie  marshes  of  Mississippi  Valley  and  central 
British  Provinces;  breeding  from  northern  Illinois,  Wisconsin, 
Minnesota,  South  Dakota  north  to  Manitoba.  South  in  winter 
to  Gulf  coast;  west  to  Texas,  and  to  coast  of  South  Carolina. 

It  is  strange  that  this  species  has  never  been  noticed  within 
the  borders  of  Missouri,  although  quite  within  its  geographical 
range.  Its  occurrence  in  migration  seems  certain.  Its  capture 
at  Warsaw,  May  8, 1879,  by  Mr.  Worthen  and  at  Quincy,  April  26, 
1889, by  Mr.  Poling  is  recorded;  also  that  of  an  adult  male,  Octo- 
ber 12,  1894,  in  central  Iowa  (Auk,  vol.  16,  p.  277) ;  and  that  of  a 
pair  on  May  27,  1904,  in  Johnson  Co.,  la.,  by  R.  M.  Anderson, 
and  a  young  male  in  company  with  Leconte's  and  Grasshopper 
Sparrow  in  eastern  Nebraska,  October  8,  1904.  October  17, 


180  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

1881,  two  birds  were  killed  by  Col.  N.  S.  Goss  in  the  bottomland 
of  the  Neosho  River  near  Neosho  Falls,  Kan.,  fifty  miles  west  of 
our  state  line. 

*552.  CHONDESTES  GRAMMACUS  (Say).    Lark  Sparrow. 

Fringilla  grammaca.     Chondestes  grammica.     Emberiza  grammaca. 

Geog.  Dist. — Mississippi  Valley,  east  of  the  Plains;  north  to 
eastern  Minnesota,  Wisconsin,  southern  Michigan;  east  to  Ohio, 
Kentucky,  Tennessee;  casually  to  the  Atlantic  States  and 
Florida.  Breeds  from  eastern  Texas  northward  and  winters 
south  of  United  States.  Replaced  westward  to  the  Pacific  by 
subspecies  strigatus  (Swainson) . 

In  Missouri  nowhere  common,  but  one  of  our  most  generally 
distributed  summer  residents,  not  only  in  the  prairie  region  but, 
on  cultivated  land  everywhere,  even  in  the  narrow  valleys  of 
the  Ozarks.  There  are  a  few  unusually  early  dates  as  April  6, 
1884,  Fayette;  April  10,  1898,  Independence  and  April  10,  1892, 
Keokuk,  but  as  a  rule  the  Lark  Sparrows  arrive  in  most  parts  of 
Missouri  with  great  regularity  during  the  third  week  of  April 
only  in  the  most  northern  counties  a  few  days  later.  They  are 
prominent  songsters  and  conspicuous  birds,  often  seen  on  wagon 
roads  taking  dust  baths.  After  the  young  are  grown  a  few  fam- 
ilies gather  in  a  troop,  and  begin  to  roam,  disappearing  from  their 
breeding  stands  as  early  as  July  or  August.  Small  flocks  are 
met  with  until  late  in  September,  and  some  observers  report 
the  "last  seen"  as  late  as  October  4,  1903,  New  Haven  and 
October  17,  1883,  and  1885,  Mt.  Carmel — exceptional  cases. 

553.  ZONOTRICHIA  QUERULA  (Nuttall).     Harris's  Sparrow. 

Fringilla  querula.     Fringilla  harrisii.     Fringilla  comata.     Hooded  Sparrow. 

Geog.  Dist. — Interior  plains  of  North  America,  from  eastern 
base  of  Rocky  Mountains  to  Western  Missouri,  Iowa,  Minnesota, 
Manitoba,  occasionally  to  Illinois  and  Wisconsin.  Breeds  north 
of  United  States  (Assiniboia)  and  winters  in  Texas. 

Western  Missouri  with  eastern  Kansas  and  eastern  Nebraska, 
is  the  main  thoroughfare  of  this  species  from  its  summer  home 
in  Assiniboia  to  its  winter  home  in  the  Indian  Territory  and 
northern  Texas.  All  early  explorers  met  with  it;  in  1832  Prince 
of  Wied,  who  described  it  later  under  the  name  of  F.  comata; 
Nuttall  and  Townsend,  who  discovered  it  near  Kansas  City  (In- 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.   181 

dependence  and  Westport)  in  1833,  were  the  first  to  describe  it 
under  the  name  of  F.  querula  in  1840.  When  Audubon  ascended 
the  Missouri  River  in  1843  in  company  with  Bell,  Harris  and 
Squires,  he  thought  he  found  a  new  finch  near  Fort  Leaven- 
worth,  May  4,  1843,  and  called  it  Fringilla  Iwrrisii,  not  knowing 
at  the  time  of  Nuttall's  discovery  and  description.  He  met 
with  it  again  on  May  6,  7  and  8,  when  near  the  corner  of  the 
state.  It  was  with  Zono.  leucophrys  and  albicollis,  Melospiza 
lincolni,  Siurus  noveboracensis,  Dendr.  coronata  and  Helm,  rubri- 
capilla.  Dr.  Hoy  met  with  it  at  Lexington,  May  7,  1854,  and 
a  troop  of  from  15  to  20  at  Chillicothe,  May  13,  1854.  Dr.  J.  A. 
Allen  found  it  exceedingly  abundant  at  Leavenworth  in  May, 
1872,  and  Trippe  listed  it  as  abundant  in  fall  and  spring  in 
Decatur,  la.,  1872.  It  was  also  taken  by  the  Warren's  Expedi- 
tion at  Fort  Leavenworth,  and  Aughey  gives  it  as  common  in 
eastern  Nebraska  along  the  Missouri  River.  In  his  Birds  of 
Western  Missouri  (Nuttall  Bull.,  Vol.  4,  p.  144),  W.  E.  D.  Scott 
writes:  "On  my  arrival  at  Warrensburg,  March  27,  1874,  I 
found  the  birds  quite  common.  They  were  all  moulting,  and 
had  much  the  same  habits  as  the  White-crowned.  Sparrows, 
being  in  small  parties  of  three  or  four,  and  frequenting  similar 
localities.  They  were  still  common  April  27,  and  had  assumed 
the  breeding  plumage.  I  took  some  as  late  as  May  5."  The 
first  week  of  March  seems  to  be  the  time  when  the  first  make 
their  appearance  in  southwestern  Missouri.  Earliest  date,  March 
2,  1902,  Jasper,  Savage;  at  Independence  the  first  date  is  March 
8,  1900,  Tindall.  They  become  common  in  southern  Missouri 
during  the  latter  part  of  March,  and  in  northern  Missouri  in  the 
first  half  of  April  and  remain  common  to  the  end  of  the  month 
or  first  week  in  May.  The  last  are  gone  by  the  middle  of  May, 
not  to  be  seen  again  until  October.  At  St.  Joseph  the  species 
was  present  from  October  10  to  November  16,  1894,  according 
to  Mr.  S.  S.  Wilson,  who  took  a  male  in  spring  dress,  November  1. 
Mr.  Nehrling  found  the  species  common  at  Freistatt,  Lawrence 
Co.,  as  early  as  October  11,  1886,  but  usually  the  bulk  does  not 
reach  Missouri  before  the  middle  of  October  and  remains  to  the 
latter  part  of  November.  A  few  linger  well  into  winter,  and 
there  is  a  record  of  January  2,  1884,  when  the  last  was  seen  by 
Mr.  Nehrling  at  Pierce  City.  In  eastern  Missouri  the  species  is 
known  only  as  a  rare  straggler  and  was  met  with  by  the  writer 
in  Lincoln  Co.,  in  the  spring  of  1896,  and  in  Audrain  Co.,  by  Mrs. 
M.  Musick  of  Mt.  Carmel,  April  3,  1884,  and  again  April  28  to 


182  Trans.  A  cad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

May  3,  1885.  It  has  been  obtained  in  the  Mississippi  bot- 
tom by  Mr.  0.  C.  Poling  at  Quincy,  by  Mr.  Chas.  K.  Worthen 
at  Warsaw,  and  by  Mr.  E.  S.  Currier  May  3,  1898,  near 
Keokuk. 

554.  ZONOTRICHIA  LEUCOPHRYS  (Forst.).     White-crowned  Spar- 
row. 

Emberiza  leucophrys.     Fringilla  leucophrys. 

Geog.  Dist. — United  States  and  eastern  British  Provinces; 
breeding  from  Vermont,  Quebec  and  northeastern  Minnesota 
northward  to  west  side  of  Hudson  Bay  and  over  peninsula  of 
Laborador  to  southern  Greenland.  Also  throughout  the  high 
mountains  of  western  United  States  southward  to  New  Mexico 
and  Arizona,  north  to  northern  California.  Winters  from 
Missouri,  Illinois  and  southern  Indiana  southward  to  south 
central  Mexico  and  throughout  the  peninsula  of  Lower 
California. 

In  Missouri  a  common  transient  visitant  in  all  parts  of  the 
state,  throughout  the  Ozarks  as  well  as  in  the  swamps  of  the 
southeast.  Some  few  winter  even  north  of  the  Missouri  River 
in  osage  orange  hedges  in  St.  Charles  Co.,  but  more  commonly 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  state,  never  in  large  numbers,  but  a 
few  individuals  with  Tree  Sparrows  and  Juncos,  or  White- 
throated  and  Fox  Sparrows.  The  first  stir  among  the  hardy 
Fringillidae  about  the  middle  of  March  brings  also  some  White- 
crowns  to  places  where  we  had  not  noticed  them  before,  but  real 
migration  shows  itself  only  after  the  middle  of  April,  and  even 
then  it  drags  on  until  one  fine  morning  all  Missouri  is  resounding 
with  their  peculiar  song.  This  occurs  with  great  regularity  be- 
tween the  fourth  and  eighth  of  May ;  very  exceptionally  earlier, 
as  April  29  and  30,  1884.  They  frequent  open  ground,  fences, 
hedges,  etc.,  also  the  edge  of  woods,  but  seldom  the  woods  them- 
selves, and  remain  common  and  conspicuous  for  a  few  days 
only,  but  their  song  is  heard  and  the  birds  seen  till  May  15  to 
18,  even  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state  (latest  for  St.  Louis, 
May  20  and  22,  1907).  The  first  fall  migrants  reach  northern 
Missouri  soon  after  the  first  of  October,  and  southern  Missouri  in 
the  second  week  of  the  month.  The  bulk  is  present  in  the  third 
and  fourth  weeks,  and  the  last  transients  leave  us  in  the  first 
half  of  November. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.   183 

558.  ZONOTRICHIA..ALBICOLLIS  (Gmel.).     White-throated  Spar- 
row. 

Fringillaalbicollis.     Fringillapensylvanica.     Zonotrichiapensylvanica.  Pea- 
body  Bird. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America;  breeding  from  Massa- 
chusetts, northern  New  York,  Ontario,  northern  Michigan,  Wis- 
consin, northern  Minnesota,  eastern  Wyoming,  eastern  Mon- 
tana, etc.,  northward  to  Great  Bear  Lake,  west  shore  of  Hudson 
Bay,  Laborador  and  Newfoundland.  In  winter  from  Massa- 
chusetts and  southern  New  York,  along  the  Atlantic  coast  to 
Florida  and  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Missouri  River  to  Louisiana  and  southern  Texas. 

In  Missouri  a  very  common  transient  visitant;  one  of  the  most 
numerous  and  universally  distributed  of  migrants  in  spring  and 
fall,  and  in  southeastern  Missouri  one  of  the  most  numerous 
winter  residents.  In  sheltered  places,  chiefly  river  bottoms, 
small  numbers  winter  regularly  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis,  but 
keep  very  quiet  until  migration  begins  early  in  March.  Between 
the  tenth  and  twentieth  the  first  White-throats  appear  in  many 
places  in  central  Missouri  where  they  have  not  wintered.  From 
this  time  to  the  middle  of  April  there  is  not  much  change  visible, 
the  species  being  only  fairly  common,  though  comparatively 
prominent,  because  often  in  song.  The  great  army  of  transient 
White-throats  appears  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state  April  15, 
in  the  central  April  20,  and  in  the  most  northern,  April  25.  They 
are  in  large  flocks  with  many  individuals  in  high  dress  and  full 
of  song.  Their  presence  in  such  numbers  lasts  about  eight  days, 
after  which  a  change  is  noticeable;  most  of  the  high  dressed 
adult  birds  are  gone,  and  the  flocks  contain  principally  birds  of 
the  second  year,  plain  dressed  and  not  so  musical.  Large  troops, 
mostly  females,  remain  through  the  first  week  of  May;  small 
parties  are  also  found  during  the  second  week,  but  after  the 
middle  of  May  they  are  always  rare  if  present  at  all.  The  "last 
seen"  in  the  state  are  dated  between  May  15  and  20,  exceptionally 
later,  as  May  24,  1883,  at  St.  Louis.  Southward  migration  of 
White-throats  reaches  Missouri  some  years  in  the  last  days  of 
September,  but  usually  not  before  the  first  week  of  October  in 
the  north,  and  the  second  week  in  the  south  of  the  state.  Earli- 
est date  for  St.  Louis,  September  24,  1887;  for  Keokuk,  Sep- 
tember 28,  1902.  Between  October  8  and  12  they  arrive  at  St. 
Louis  in  large  flocks,  many  adults  in  fine  dress  and  song  among 


184  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

them.  They  remain  numerous  to  the  end  of  the  month,  but  after 
the  twentieth  the  flocks  contain  a  majority  of  young  birds  in 
very  plain  dress.  After  the  first  of  November  they  grow  scarce 
generally,  but  small  parties  linger  even  in  the  most  northern 
part  sometimes  into  the  latter  half  of  the  month,  exceptionally 
into  December  (Keokuk,  November  18,  1902;  November  19, 
1893;  November  20,  1892  and  1900;  December  8,  1896). 

559.  SPIZELLA  MONTICOLA  (Gmel.).    Tree  Sparrow. 

Fringilla  canadensis.     Emberiza  canadensis.     Spizella  montana.     F  ring  ilia 
arborea.     Canada  Tree  Sparrow.     Winter  Chippy. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  west  to  the  Plains  where 
replaced  by  the  western  subspecies  ochracea;  breeding  in  New- 
foundland, Labrador  and  the  Hudson  Bay  region.  In  winter 
from  the  northern  United  States  southward  to  South  Carolina, 
Tennessee,  Indian  Territory. 

In  Missouri  a  common  winter  resident  arriving  irregularly, 
sometimes  in  north  Missouri  as  early  as  the  second  week  of 
October  (October  9,  1892  and  1894,  and  October  10,  1901,  Keo- 
kuk; October  10,  1894,  St.  Joseph),  in  other  years  not  before 
November.  At  St.  Louis  the  first  are  seen  between  the  4th  and 
14th  of  November,  and  are  common  before  the  month  is  over, 
moving  in  small  flocks  in  search  of  weed  seeds  and  coming  to 
the  farm  yards  when  the  snow  is  deep.  Their  departure  is  influ- 
enced much  by  the  weather  we  have  in  March.  Even  warm 
weather  in  the  latter  part  of  February  induces  them  to  become 
excited  and  musical,  deserting  some  of  their  winter  haunts  and 
flocking  to  the  bottom-land  preparatory  to  departing.  In  some 
years  they  are  nearly  all  gone  by  March  20th,  in  others  flocks 
are  with  us  to  the  middle  of  April  (April  12,  1894,  large  flocks  in 
Lincoln  Co.).  The  "lasts"  vary  from  March  20  to  April  28 
(1893,  Keokuk),  but  fall  mostly  into  the  early  part  of  April. 
(April  3,  1898,  Independence;  April  10,  1902,  Jasper;  April  10, 
1874,  Warrensburg;  April  12,  1886,  Mt.  Carmel). 

*560.  SPIZELLA  SOCIALIS  (Wils.).    Chipping  Sparrow. 

Fringilla  socialis.     Emberiza  socialis.     Spizella  domestica.     Chippy. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  west  to  the  Great  Plains ; 
north  to  Nova  Scotia,  New  Brunswick,  Quebec  and  Ontario; 
northwest  through  wooded  districts  to  Saskatchewan.     Breeds 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  185 

from  the  pine  woods  of  the  Gulf  States  northward,  and  winters 
in  the  southern  United  States  from  Florida  to  eastern  Texas. 
Replaced  in  the  West  by  the  subspecies  S.  soc.  arizonae. 

In  Missouri  a  common  and  universally  distributed  summer  resi- 
dent, mostly  near  human  habitations,  but  also  on  the  dry  hill 
tops  of  the  Ozarks,  as  well  as  in  the  Bald  Cypress  swamps  of  the 
southeast.  March  14  to  17  is  the  time  when  the  first  Chippies 
reach  their  breeding  stands  south  of  the  Missouri ;  there  are  very 
few  records  of  earlier  arrivals,  as  March  2,  1902,  Jasper;  March 
10,  1886,  Freistatt;  March  10,  1887,  St.  Louis.  At  the  north- 
east corner  of  the  state  the  species  makes  its  first  appearance  a 
fortnight  later,  the  dates  varying  from  March  30  to  April  15, 
mostly  April  4  to  6.  While  the  forerunners  reach  St.  Louis 
usually  about  the  middle  of  March,  Chippies  are  seldom  numer- 
ous before  the  first  week  in  April,  the  males  appearing  first,  fol- 
lowed after  four  days  by  the  females,  when  the  species  becomes 
conspicuous  everywhere.  Transient  visitants  increase  their 
numbers  during  the  second  and  third  week  of  April,  at  the  end 
of  which  ours  begin  nesting.  Flocking  in  September,  they  dis- 
appear from  many  of  their  summer  haunts  and  the  species  seems 
scarce  until  migration  begins  in  early  October,  when  sometimes 
large  flocks  are  met  with  during  the  second  and  third  week  of 
the  month.  All  disappear  before  the  month  is  over  and  Chippies 
are  great  rarities  in  November,  when  their  cousins,  the  Tree 
Sparrows,  appear  from  the  north. 

561.  SPIZELLA  PALLIDA  (Swains.).     Clay-colored  Sparrow. 

Emberiza,  pallida.     Emberiza  shaituckii. 

Geog.  Dist. — Great  Plains  of  North  America  from  eastern  base 
of  Rocky  Mountains  to  prairie  districts  of  the  upper  Mississippi 
Valley ;  breeding  from  Colorado,  Nebraska,  Iowa,  Wisconsin  and 
northwestern  Illinois  northward  to  the  Saskatchewan;  in  winter 
from  southern  Texas,  New  Mexico  and  Arizona  to  Cape  St. 
Lucas  and  Oaxaca. 

Nothing  is  known  of  the  occurrence  of  this  species  in  Missouri 
except  in  the  territory  along  the  eastern  and  western  boundary. 
The  earliest  record  is  that  of  Audubon,  who  met  with  it  near  the 
corner  of  the  state,  May  9,  1843.  Mr.  S.  S.  Wilson  regards  the 
Clay-colored  Sparrows  common  transient  visitants  at  St.  Joseph 
from  the  middle  of  April  to  early  June,  and  gives  me  the  follow- 
ing dates:  April  28,  May  7  and  10  and  June  17,  1894;  May  1 


186  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

and  3  and  June  2,  1895;  April  11,  April  25  and  May  15,  1896. 
At  St.  Louis  it  is  a  rare  transient  visitant  and  has  only  been 
taken  a  few  times:  September  24,  1876;  April  28  and  May  7, 

1886,  and  May  10,  1904.     Mr.  0.  C.  Poling  found  it  quite  common 
in  pastures  and  stubble  fields  near  Quincy,  111.,  early  in  May, 

1887,  and  Mr.  W.  Praeger  met  with  it  near  Keokuk.     Trippe 
mentions  the  species  as  common  in  spring,  1874,  in  Decatur  Co., 
la.,  and  it    is  said  to  be  an  abundant  migrant  in  Nebraska,  ar- 
riving in  the  first  week  in  May,  remaining  till  June  and  reap- 
pearing in  early  September  and  remaining  through  October. 
There  can  therefore  be  no  doubt  that  its  apparent  scarcity  is 
only  due  to  oversight,  though  it  is  distinguishable  from  other 
Spizellae  by  the  conspicuous  ashy  collar  and  ashy  median  stripe 
on  the  crown,  bordered  by  dark  brown  streaks,  a  dark  line  on 
the  side  of  the  chin  and,  besides  a  white  line  over  the  eye,  pale 
brown  yellowish  upper  parts  and  small  size. 

*563.  SPIZELLA  PUSILLA  (Wils.).     Field  Sparrow. 

Fringilla  pusilla.     Fringilla  juncorum.     Emberiza  pusilla.    Spizellaagrestis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  Southern  Canada, 
west  to  eastern  Kansas,  Nebraska,  Red  River  Valley,  Lake 
Winnipeg  and  Qu'Apelle;  north  to  southern  Ontario,  rarely  to 
Quebec  and  Nova  Scotia.  Breeds  from  upper  Georgia  and 
South  Carolina,  northwestern  Florida,  central  Alabama  and 
Mississippi,  central  Texas  northward  and  winters  from  southern 
New  Jersey,  Virginia,  Kentucky  and  southern  Missouri  south- 
ward to  Florida  and  Texas,  occasionally  further  north. 

In  Missouri  a  common  and  generally  distributed  summer  resi- 
dent. From  St.  Louis  southward  the  first  singing  males  are 
heard  at  their  breeding  stands  in  ordinary  seasons  in  the  first  or 
second  week  of  March;  north  of  the  Missouri  River  in  the  third, 
and  in  the  region  of  Keokuk  in  the  fourth  week  of  March.  In 
unusually  backward  seasons  their  arrival  may  be  retarded  from 
one  to  two  weeks.  The  bulk  of  the  species  is  due  from  the  mid- 
dle of  March  in  the  south  to  the  first  week  of  April  in  the  north. 
Transients  in  small  troops  are  present  the  last  of  March  and  in 
early  April.  They  sing  all  summer,  sometimes  till  September, 
and  fresh  eggs  were  found  in  September.  From  the  last  week  of 
September  to  the  middle  of  October  they  are  found  in  small 
flocks,  probably  transients,  while  some  of  ours  remain,  associated 
with  other  sparrows,  till  the  middle  of  November.  Single  indi- 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.   187 

viduals  are  met  with  in  winter  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis  in 
company  of  other  sparrows,  and  small  troops  winter  regularly 
in  the  sheltering  forests  of  southern  Missouri. 


563a.   SPIZELLA    PUSILLA    ARENACEA   Chadb.     Western    Field 
Sparrow. 

Spizella  arenacea. 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeds  from  Nebraska  and  South  Dakota  to 
eastern  Montana;  winters  in  southern  Texas,  Louisiana  and 
northern  Mexico. 

Of  the  four  specimens  which  Mr.  E.  Seymour  Woodruff  col- 
lected in  Shannon  Co.  in  March,  1907,  he  found  "two  to  be 
undoubted  arenacea,  the  other  two  intermediate  between  pusilla 
and  arenacea  but  nearer  the  latter,  because  of  their  longer  wings 
and  tail  and  general  paleness." 

567.  JUNCO  HYEMALIS  (Linn.).    Slate-colored  Junco. 

Fringilla  hyemalis.     Struthus  hyemalis.     Niphea  hyemcdis.     Junco  hiemalis. 
Fringttla  nivalis.     Junco.     Snowbird. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America  and  through  the  interior 
to  the  Arctic  coast  and  Alaska;  breeding  from  the  mountains  of 
Pennsylvania,  New  York  and  Massachusetts,  from  Ontario, 
central  Michigan,  northern  Wisconsin,  northern  Minnesota 
northward  to  Labrador,  western  shores  of  Hudson  Bay,  to  the 
Arctic  coast  and  the  valleys  of  the  Yukon  and  Kowak.  Winters 
from  Connecticut,  southern  Michigan,  Wisconsin  and  eastern 
Nebraska  southward  to  the  Gulf  coast,  Arizona  and  Cali- 
fornia. 

In  Missouri  a  very  common  winter  resident  and  transient 
visitant,  present  fully  one-half  of  the  year.  The  first,  exception- 
ally early  arrivals,  have  been  noted  at  Keokuk,  September  11, 
1894,  and  September  25,  1899;  at  St.  Louis,  September  20  and 
26,  but  usually  the  van  does  not  reach  Missouri  before  the  first 
week  of  October  and  St.  Louis  in  some  years  not  before  the  end 
of  the  second  week.  The  main  body  of  the  invading  army  comes 
to  our  northern  border  in  the  second  week  of  October,  to  St. 
Louis  about  October  20th  and  to  the  southeastern  corner  of  the 
state  about  the  last  of  the  month.  Transients  throng  the  state 
until  the  middle  of  November,  after  which  winter  numbers  remain. 
As  the  northern  limit  of  their  range  varies  in  different  seasons,  so 


188  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

does  the  number  of  wintering  individuals.  In  hard  winters  when 
the  snow  is  deep  and  hard  they  are  driven  to  the  farmyards  for 
food  and  shelter;  but  for  this  protection  many  would  perish  by 
cold  or  starvation,  especially  in  regions  where  their  former  ref- 
uge, the  forests,  no  longer  exist.  Spring  migration  from  the 
south  begins  often  as  early  as  the  last  week  of  February,  cer- 
tainly by  the  tenth  of  March,  and  is  at  its  height  from  the  middle 
to  the  last  of  the  month,  when  most  old  birds  are  gone  and  mainly 
young  ones  are  present  mostly  in  silent  flocks.  These,  too,  pass 
on  during  the  first  half  of  April  and  stragglers  only  are  left  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  month.  In  some  years,  when  spring  was 
exceptionally  late  or  cold,  individuals  have  been  seen  at  St. 
Louis  in  May  and  as  late  as  May  24  and  May  29,  1882,  but 
as  a  rule  the  dates  of  "  Juncos  last  seen"  range  from  April  10  to 
30  all  over  the  state. 

An  exceptionally  late  date  is  reported  by  Mr.  E.S.  Woodruff, 
who  took  a  Junco  at  Grandin,  Carter  Co.,  May  21,  1907,  saying: 
"But  this  can  be  explained  by  the  fact  that  he  was  a  diseased 
bird  infested  by  parasitic  worms.  His  stomach  was  distended 
to  twice  the  normal  size  and  was  just  one  solid  mass  of  trans- 
parent worms,  3  inches  or  more  long,  filling  up  every  bit  of  space 
around  the  organs  and  intestines."  Last  Junco  in  1907  at  St. 
Louis  was  seen  May  4. 

567b.  JUNCO  HYEMALIS  CONNECTENS   Coues.      Shufeldt's  Junco. 

Junco  Tiyemolis  shufeldti. 

Geog.  Dist. — Rocky  Mountain  region,  west  in  the  mountains 
of  the  Great  Basin  to  eastern  California;  in  winter  to  Arizona, 
New  Mexico,  Texas  and  northern  Mexico.  Accidental  in  Ne- 
braska, Illinois,  Michigan,  Indiana,  Massachusetts  and  Mary- 
land, but  with  difficulty  distinguished  from  Montana  Junco, 
Junco  montanus,  which  in  winter  also  straggles  eastward  from 
its  breeding  grounds  in  Montana,  Idaho  and  northward  to 
Alberta. 

This  subspecies  is  entered  in  our  list  as  of  probable  occurrence 
on  the  strength  of  a  specimen  taken  by  Mr.  Wm.  E.  Praeger 
near  Keokuk,  la.,  December  16,  1892,  from  a  flock  of  common 
Juncos.  It  may  be  not  an  uncommon,  perhaps  regular,  winter 
visitant  to  some  parts  of  Missouri,  particularly  the  western, 
and  collectors  should  pay  special  attention  to  the  identifi- 
cation  of  Juncos. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.   189 

567.1.  JUNCO  MONTANUS  Ridgway.    Montana  Junco. 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeds  from  northwestern  Montana  and  northern 
Idaho  to  Northwest  Territory  and  Alberta.  In  winter  to  Arizona 
and  northern  Mexico,  western  and  middle  Texas,  etc.  In  mi- 
gration east  to  Mississippi  Valley;  casually  to  Massachusetts, 
Maryland  etc. 

The  Juncos  collected  by  Mr.  E.  Seymour  Woodruff  in  Carter 
and  Shannon  Counties  in  March  and  April  1907,  Dr.  D wight 
divided  into  three  races :  hyemalis  hyemalis,  hyemalis  connectens, 
and  montanus.  The  typical  hyemalis  he  also  found  to  differ 
somewhat  from  eastern  birds,  resembling  those  which  breed  in 
the  western  part  of  their  range,  i.  e.,  Alaska. 


*575a.  PEUCEA    AESTIVALIS    BACHMANII    (Aud.).      Bachman's 
Sparrow. 

Fringttla  bachmanii.  Peucea  bachmanii.  Peucea  aestivalis.  Peucea  Uli- 
noensis.  Peucea  aestivalis  Ulinoiensis.  Aimophila  aestivalis  bachmanii. 
Oakwood  Sparrow. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  South  Carolina  and  northern  Georgia  and 
the  Gulf  coast  west  of  Florida  north  to  southern  Virginia,  Mary- 
land, southern  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois  and  southeastern  Iowa; 
west  to  western  Missouri  and  middle  Texas.  In  winter  to 
Florida. 

In  Missouri  a  rare  summer  resident,  reported  first  by  Mr.  H. 
Nehrling  from  Pierce  City,  Lawrence  Co.,  in  1884,  as  not  common, 
and  by  Mr.  0.  C.  Poling  from  the  Mississippi  bottom  in  Marion 
Co.,  Mo.,  where  from  about  May  1  to  5,  1889,  he  observed  two 
in  a  clearing  among  scrub  oak  and  brush.  Early  in  May  1887 
the  same  gentleman  collected  three  specimens  in  an  old  apple 
orchard  at  Quincy,  111.  Mr.  W.  G.  Savage  reported  their  occur- 
rence at  Monteer,  Shannon  Co.,  in  1906,  and  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff 
verified  this  report  by  taking  specimens  at  Ink,  Shannon  Co.  on 
March  19,  March  31  and  April  5,  and  writes,  May  5,  1907: 
" These  are  very  common  birds  here  and  breeding."  On  May 
17,  1907,  he  saw  one  and  heard  the  song  of  two  others  near  the 
Current  River  in  Carter  Co.  Perfect  proof  of  its  breeding  in 
the  state  was  furnished  by  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff  when  he  found  a 
nest  in  Carter  Co.  near  the  line  of  Reynolds  Co.,  May  27,  1907. 
He  wrote  me  under  date  of  June  2,  1907:  "The  nest  was  on  the 
ground  in  a  clump  of  grass  and  New  Jersey  Tea  (Ceanothus 


190  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

americ.)  in  oak  and  pine  woods  from  which  the  pine  had  very 
recently  been  cut.  It  contained  two  eggs  of  Bachman's  Sparrow 
and  three  of  Cowbird — incubation  far  advanced.  The  nest  was 
near  (10  feet)  the  top  of  a  recently  cut  pine.  I  mention  this,  for 
I  invariably  find  Bachman's  Sparrows  about  the  dead  tops  of 
fallen  trees." 


*581.  MELOSPIZA  CINEREA  MELODIA  (Wilson).     Song  Sparrow. 

Fringilla    fasciata.     Melospiza    fasciata.     Melospiza     melodia.     Fringilla 
melodia.     Emberiza  melodia.     Melospiza  meloda. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  to  the  Plains;  north  to 
the  Maritime  Provinces,  Quebec,  Ontario,  Manitoba,  Saskatche- 
wan and  Alberta.  Breeds  from  Virginia,  southern  Indiana, 
northern  Kentucky,  central  Mississippi,  southern  Missouri  and 
Kansas  northward,  and  winters  from  Nova  Scotia,  the  Great 
Lakes,  and  Nebraska  southward,  but  chiefly  south  of  the  Ohio 
River. 

In  Missouri  a  common  and  generally  distributed  transient 
visitant;  a  fairly  common  winter  resident  and  a  rather  rare,  only 
locally  common,  summer  resident  in  the  alluvial  bottoms  and 
prairie  region  from  Ste.  Genevieve  and  Jasper  Co.  northward, 
increasing  in  numbers  and  spreading  to  new  territory.  The 
Song  Sparrow  is  one  of  the  very  first  to  stir  from  its  winter  quar- 
ters as  soon  as  the  backbone  of  our  Missouri  winter  is  broken, 
commonly  near  the  end  of  February.  It  is  then  seen  at  places 
not  frequented  before,  but  these  movements  are  only  preliminary 
to  the  great  general  advance  which  begins  about  March  10  and 
gathers  full  strength  at  the  middle  of  the  month,  when  the  great 
mass  occupies  the  state  from  one  end  to  the  other  and  holds  pos- 
session of  it  for  three  weeks,  until  the  second  week  in  April, 
being  more  numerous  southward  in  March  and  northward  in 
April.  The  last  transients  leave  southern  Missouri  about  the 
middle,  northern  toward  the  end  of  April;  and  birds  heard  singing 
in  May  should  be  marked  probable  summer  residents.  Fall 
migrants  begin  to  arrive  the  middle  of  September,  but  do  not 
become  numerous  before  October,  sometimes  early  in  the  month, 
sometimes  not  before  the  latter  part,  remaining  common  into 
November,  but  seldom  into  the  second  week,  after  which  winter 
numbers  only  are  left. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.   191 
583.  MELOSPIZA  LINCOLNII  (Aud.).    Lincoln's  Sparrow. 

Fringilla  lincolnii.     Peucea  lincolnii.     Zonotrichia  lincolni. 

Geog.  Dist. — Central  and  North  America  from  Panama  to  the 
northeastern  coast  of  Labrador  and  Fort  Yukon  in  Alaska. 
Breeds  from  northern  Illinois  and  northern  New  York  northward, 
and  in  the  higher  mountains  of  the  United  States  south  to  Mt. 
Whitney  in  the  Sierra.  Winters  from  our  southern  states 
southward  to  Panama. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant  in  all  parts 
of  the  state ;  never  in  flocks,  but  associated  with  other  sparrows, 
chiefly  Melospizae  and  Zonotrichiae.  Due  to  its  southwest- 
northeast  migration  it  appears  first  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
the  state  from  where  it  is  reported  in  March  (March  7,  1904, 
Iberia,  March  13,  1886,  Freistatt) ;  the  first  individuals  seem  to 
reach  northern  Missouri  and  southern  Nebraska  earlier  than  the 
region  of  St.  Louis,  being  reported  from  Mt.  Carmel  and 
Keokuk,  April  5,  and  in  Nebraska  in  the  second  week  of  April. 
At  St.  Louis  the  Lincoln's  Sparrow  arrives  pretty  regularly 
between  the  20th  and  25th  of  April,  rarely  a  few  days  later. 
It  is  most  common  all  over  the  state  from  the  second  to  the 
twelfth  of  May,  and  the  last  are  seen  soon  afterward,  varying 
in  different  years  between  the  tenth  and  sixteenth,  except  in 
unusually  cold  springs,  when  the  last  remained  to  May  23, 
1904,  and  May  28,  1897.  The  first  reappear  in  fall  early  in 
October  (earliest  October  5,  1889,  Independence) ;  at  St.  Louis 
about  October  7,  followed  by  the  bulk  a  few  days  later, 
present  generally  from  the  10th  to  15th,  and  the  last  are  noted 
near  the  end  of  the  month,  seldom  remaining  into  November 
(November  4,  1900,  Keokuk,  Currier). 

*584.  MELOSPIZA  GEORGIANA  (Lath.).    Swamp  Sparrow. 

Fringilla  georgiana.     Fringilla  palustris.     Zonotrichia  palustris.     Ammo- 
dramus  palustris.     Melospiza  palustris. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Newfoundland, 
Labrador  and  Athabaska;  west  to  about  100  meridian  in  Ne- 
braska. Breeds  from  southern  New  England,  northern  Indiana, 
northern  Missouri  and  eastern  Nebraska  northward.  Winters 
from  southern  New  England,  southern  Illinois,  Missouri  and 
Kansas  southward  to  the  Gulf. 

In  Missouri  a  common  transient  visitant,  found  in  varying 
numbers  in  all  parts,  high  and  low,  but  most  abundantly 


192  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

in  the  flood  plain  of  the  Mississippi  River.  A  few  remain  in 
winter  north  of  the  Missouri  River,  more  in  southern  Missouri, 
especially  the  southeast.  According  to  some  observers  the 
species  is  also  a  rare  breeder  north  of  the  Missouri  River.  Mr. 
Philo  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  reports  that  he  found  a  nest  with  young,  June  2, 
1905,  near  Maple  Lake  in  St.  Charles  Co.,  and  Mr.  E.  M.  Parker 
has  found  it  nesting  near  Montgomery  City.  Mr.  E.  S.  Currier 
thinks  a  few  nested  at  Sand  Ridge  near  Way  land,  Clark  Co., 
Mo.  W.  E.  D.  Scott  also  says  it  possibly  breeds  at  Warrensburg 
where  he  took  some  as  late  as  May  25,  1874.  Trippe  writes: 
"Breeds  in  small  numbers  in  Decatur  Co.,  la.,"  (the  border 
county  north  of  central  Missouri).  As  is  the  case  with  several 
other  species  of  sparrows  wintering  in  the  southern  states, 
migration  commences  in  an  undecided  way,  some  advancing  in 
short  steps  toward  the  breeding  grounds  in  the  north  as  soon  as 
absence  of  snow  and  ice  allows.  In  some  years  this  is  possible 
at  the  end  of  February,  in  others  nearly  a  month  later,  but  the 
middle  of  March  may  be  taken  as  the  average  time  for  the  first 
arrival  of  small  troops  of  transient  Swamp  Sparrows  in  the 
vicinity  of  St.  Louis  and  a  week  later  in  the  marshes  of  Clark  Co. 
in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  state.  The  bulk  of  the  species 
leaves  southeast  Missouri  about  the  middle  of  April,  is  present 
in  the  central  part  from  April  10  to  20,  and  at  the  northern  border 
from  April  16  to  26.  The  last  ones  are  sometimes  noted  in  the 
last  wreek  of  April,  but  just  as  often  in  the  first  week  of  May, 
less  commonly  later  (May  11,  1882  and  1886,  St.  Louis;  May 
13,  1907,  Shannon  Co,  Woodruff;  May  23,  1899,  and  May  27, 
1901,  Keokuk).  September  27  is  the  first  day  when  transients 
were  observed  in  central  Missouri  and  October  1,  1886,  in  Law- 
rence Co.,  southwest  Missouri.  The  earliest  date  at  Keokuk, 
reported  by  Mr.  Currier,  is  September  11,  1894,  the  next  earliest 
September  26,  1899.  The  bulk  enters  the  state  about  October 
10,  has  spread  over  central  and  western  Missouri  by  the  middle 
of  the  month  and  remains  to  the  end  or  to  the  first  week  of  No- 
vember. After  the  middle  of  November  winter  numbers  only 
are  left. 

585.  PASSERELLA  ILIAC  A  (Merr.).    Fox  Sparrow. 

Fringilla  iliaca.     Fringilla  ferruginea.     Zonotrichia  iliaca.     Fringilla  rufa. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Newfoundland, 
Anticosti,  southern  Labrador,  northwestward  to  Alaska.     Breeds 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  193 

from  northern  Maine,  northern  Manitoba  and  Alberta  northward. 
Winters  from  Potomac,  Ohio  and  Missouri  Rivers  southward 
to  the  Gulf  coast  and  westward  to  middle  Texas. 

In  Missouri  a  common  transient  visitant  in  all  parts  of  the 
state,  and  a  fairly  common  winter  resident  from  St.  Louis 
southward,  particularly  numerous  in  the  heavy  forests  of  the 
swampy  southeast.  They  are  among  the  first  sparrows  to  leave 
their  winter  quarters  in  the  southern  states,  but  make  slow  prog- 
ress at  first.  Entering  the  state  at  the  southern  boundary  late 
in  February  or  early  in  March  the  first  reach  central  Missouri 
in  the  second,  the  northern  border  in  the  third  week  of  the  month. 
The  bulk  is  present  southwardly  from  the  middle  to  the  end 
of  March,  northwardly  from  the  20th  to  April  5,  some  years  to 
the  10th.  The  last  birds  are  observed  in  the  first  and  second 
week  of  April,  rarely  later.  Latest  records  April  17,  1894, 
Keokuk;  April  18,  1903,  and  19,  1888,  St.  Louis.  In  withdraw- 
ing from  the  northern  breeding  grounds  Fox  Sparrows  are  among 
the  latest  migrants  to  put  in  their  appearance  in  Missouri, 
where  they  are  seldom  seen  before  the  second,  some  years  not 
before  the  third,  week  of  October.  Earlier,  exceptional,  dates 
are  reported  from  Keokuk,  September  29,  1896,  October  1,  1895, 
October  2,  1894.  They  are  most  common  in  all  parts  of  the 
state  between  October  25  and  November  10,  but  retire  south- 
ward by  the  middle  of  the  month;  latest  dates  November  20, 
1894,  Keokuk;  November  25,  1902,  Jasper;  December  10,  1901, 
Jasper. 

*587.  PIPILO  ERYTHROPHTHALMUS  (Linn.).    Towhee. 

Fringilla  erythrophthalma.     Emberiza  erythrophthalma.     Chewink.     Joree. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America  north  to  Ontario  and 
eastern  Manitoba;  west  to  eastern  Dakotas,  Nebraska,  Kansas, 
Indian  Territory.  Breeds  from  Georgia  and  Louisiana  north- 
ward and  winters  from  Pennsylvania,  Indiana,  Missouri  and 
eastern  Kansas  southward  to  southern  Florida,  the  Gulf  coast 
and  southwestern  Texas. 

In  Missouri  a  common  summer  resident  in  the  prairie  and 
Ozark  border  region,  but  only  locally  common  in  the  Ozarks, 
and  rare  in  the  swampy  southeast,  where  it  is  a  fairly  common 
winter  resident.  As  a  transient  visitant  it  is  generally  distrib- 
uted and  common  from  the  middle  of  March  to  the  middle  of 
April,  and  from  September  25  to  October  20.  As  a  winter  resi- 


194  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

dent  it  is  rare  in  northern  Missouri,  but  becomes  more  numerous 
as  we  approach  the  southern  boundary,  chiefly  southeast.  The 
first  Towhees  return  to  their  breeding  stands  in  the  southern  part 
before  the  middle  of  March,  to  the  northern  part  chiefly  after 
the  middle  of  March.  In  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis  March  17  is 
often  the  day  when  their  song  is  heard  for  the  first  time  at  most 
of  their  stands,  meaning  that  the  bulk  of  males  has  come  and  is 
taking  possession  of  their  former  haunts,  awaiting  the  arrival 
of  the  females.  This  takes  place  generally  within  one  week 
and  the  species  is  conspicuous,  noisy  and  mating,  before  the 
end  of  the  month.  Their  ranks  continue  to  fill  up,  and  many 
transients  in  small  troops  are  present,  during  the  first  half  of 
April,  while  some  of  the  first  comers  have  already  begun  nest 
building,  and  eggs  may  be  found  by  the  first  of  May.  In  the 
latter  part  of  September  the  Towhees  begin  to  flock  and  are 
heard  to  sing  again.  Migration  from  the  north  sets  in  soon  after 
the  first  of  October  and  lasts  till  about  the  20th,  being  most  brisk 
about  the  middle  of  the  month,  or  a  few  days  before.  After  the 
20th  the  species  rapidly  approaches  winter  numbers. 

*593.  CARDINALIS  CARDINALIS.  (Linn.).    Cardinal. 

Loxia  cardinalis.     Fringilla  cardinalis.     Pitylus  cardinalis.     Guiraca  cardi- 
nalis.     Cardinalis  virginianus.     Redbird.     Kentucky  Cardinal. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States,  north  to  southeastern 
New  York,  the  Great  Lakes,  southern  Iowa,  southeastern 
South  Dakota;  west  to  eastern  Nebraska,  Kansas,  Texas. 
Breeds  from  Georgia,  Alabama,  Mississippi,  etc.  northward, 
being  replaced  farther  south  by  the  Florida  and  Louisiana  sub- 
species. Mainly  non-migratory,  but  said  to  extend  its  range 
from  year  to  year. 

A  common  resident  in  all  parts  of  Missouri,  very  common  in 
most  of  southern  Missouri,  the  Ozark  region  as  well  as  the  prairie 
and  swamp  lands.  One  of  the  few  species  of  which  many  indi- 
viduals are  truly  permanent  residents,  remaining  on  the  same 
ground  summer  and  winter.  They  are  mainly  old  pairs  which 
risk  wintering  in  places  where  few  other  birds  find  food  and 
shelter,  having  for  neighbors  sometimes  only  the  Carolina  Wren 
and  Tufted  Tit,  the  ground  being  too  bleak  even  for  Blue  Jays 
and  Woodpeckers.  But  not  all  Redbirds  are  thus  attached  to 
their  summer  haunts;  the  majority  retire  to  sheltered  woods  in 
the  bottomland,  or  to  nooks  and  corners  on  warm  hillsides, 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.   195 

where  cornfields  with  corn  on  the  stalk  or  in  shocks  are  not  far 
away,  and  where  they  are  found  when  nothing  else  is  accessible. 
The  Redbird  begins  singing  the  middle  of  February,  if  it  has  not 
done  so  earlier,  and  keeps  it  up  until  molt  begins  in  the  latter  part 
of  August,  when  only  the  first  attempts  of  young  birds  are  heard 
in  September.  At  this  period,  and  until  the  molt  is  over  in  the 
middle  of  October,  the  species  is  unusually  shy  and  seclusive, 
but  on  fine  days  in  the  latter  part  of  October,  and  in  fact  some- 
times even  in  winter,  its  song  is  as  lively  as  in  spring. 


*595.  ZAMELODIA  LUDOVICIANA  (Linn.).     Rose-breasted  Gros- 
beak. 

Loxia  ludoviciana.  Guiraca  ludoviciana.  Fringilla  ludoviciana.  Cocco- 
borus  ludovicianus.  Hedymeles  ludovicianus.  Goniaphea  ludoviciana. 
Habia  ludoviciana.  Loxia  rosea.  Coccothraustes  ludovicianus.  Rose- 
breast.  Redbreast. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  southern  Canada; 
breeds  from  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  northern  Ohio  and  In- 
diana, central  Illinois,  Missouri  and  eastern  Kansas  northward 
to  Nova  Scotia,  Ontario,  Manitoba,  Assiniboia  and  Alberta. 
In  winter  south  of  the  United  States  to  Cuba,  Jamaica,  Mexico, 
Central  America,  Ecuador  and  Colombia. 

In  Missouri  a  common  summer  resident  in  the  prairie  and 
Ozark  border  region,  chiefly  north  of  lat.  38°  and  occurring  only 
sparingly  in  the  valleys  of  the  northern  slope  of  the  Ozarks, 
from  Ste.  Gene  vie  ve  and  Iron  Counties  to  Lawrence  and  Jasper 
Counties.  On  the  southern  slope  of  the  Ozarks  and  in  western 
Missouri  south  of  lat.  37°  it  is  entirely  replaced  in  the  breeding 
season  by  the  Blue  Grosbeak.  In  the  alluvial  counties  of  the 
southeast  it  is  rare,  but  has  been  found  once  in  summer  on  an 
island  near  the  southern  boundary  of  Dunklin  Co.  The  most 
southern  record  of  nesting  in  southwest  Missouri  has  been  fur- 
nished by  Mr.  Nehrling,  who  observed  a  young  bird  with  its 
parents  July  6,  1885,  near  Freistatt  in  Lawrence  Co.  In  un- 
usually favorable  seasons  the  first  Rosebreasts  have  made  their 
appearance  at  St.  Louis  as  early  as  April  18  and  20,  but  the  ma- 
jority of  dates  range  between  April  22  and  29,  for  first  males, 
followed  a  few  days  later  by  the  females.  Birds  of  the  second 
year  come  with  the  bulk  of  transient  visitants,  which  pass  through 
Missouri  during  the  first  week  in  May,  when  they  are  found  in 
regions  where  they  do  not  breed  (Shannon  Co.,  May  2,  1907, 


196  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Woodruff) .  At  the  end  of  summer  the  Rosebreasts  are  met  with 
in  small  troops,  but  in  the  river  bottoms  where  they  roost  in  the 
willows,  gatherings  of  from  30  to  50  may  be  found  about  the 
middle  of  September,  probably  transients  in  passage.  At  the 
end  of  September  these  flocks  have  departed,  but  small  family 
groups  do  not  think  of  leaving  certain  favorite  stands,  where  food 
is  plentiful  and  where  they  are  not  molested;  frequent  visits 
to  these  places  reveal  their  presence  into  the  second  week  of 
October,  and  the  last  on  record  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis  is  October 
18,  1906. 

*597.  GUIRACA  CAERULEA  (Linn.).    Blue  Grosbeak. 

Loxia  caeridea.     Frw^Ula  caeridea.     Goniaphea  caerulea.     Coccoborus  caeru- 
leus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Southern  part  of  eastern  United  States,  north  to 
Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  Kentucky,  Missouri,  Kansas,  being 
replaced  farther  west  by  the  western  subspecies  lazula.  In 
winter  to  Cuba  and  Yucatan. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  summer  resident  on  the  southern 
slope  and  western  border  of  the  Ozarks,  chiefly  from  lat.  37° 
southward,  but  also  reported  as  fairly  common  at  Jasper,  Jasper 
Co.,  by  Walter  Giles  Savage,  and  possibly  occurring  even  farther 
north  to  lat.  38°  30'  in  Cass  Co.,  as  it  was  found  breeding  in  1901 
at  Osawatomie,  Miami  Co.,  Kan.,  only  a  few  miles  west  of  the 
state  line.  The  Blue  Grosbeaks  arrive  in  Missouri  the  latter 
part  of  April  (April  24, 1904,  Shannon  Co.,  Mr.  W.  G.  Savage) 
and  remain  till  October  (October  2,  1902,  Jasper;  October  5, 
1904,  Shannon  Co.). 

*598.  CYANOSPIZA  CYANEA  (Linn.).    Indigo  Bunting. 

Tanagra  cyanea.     Passerina  cyanea.     Fringilla  cyanea.     Spiza  cyanea. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  southern  Canada, 
north  to  Maine,  Minnesota;  west  to  eastern  Kansas,  and  in 
Nebraska  to  the  98th  meridian.  Breeds  from  the  Gulf  northward 
and  migrates  through  eastern  Mexico  and  Central  America  to 
Veragua. 

In  Missouri  one  of  the  commonest  and  most  universally  dis- 
tributed summer  residents.  The  first  arrive  at  the  southern 
boundary  the  middle  of  April;  at  St.  Louis  the  earliest  dates  are 
April  18  and  21,  migrants  in  the  Mississippi  bottom.  At  its 
breeding  stands  it  does  not  appear  before  from  the  24th  to  the 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.   197 

29th  in  most  parts  of  southern  Missouri,  and  the  last  of  the 
month,  or  more  commonly  in  the  first  week  in  May,  in  northern 
Missouri.  The  females  are  always  a  few  days  behind  the  males, 
and  full  numbers,  including  birds  of  the  second  year  in  not  yet 
fully  matured  dress,  are  not  present  before  the  middle  of  May. 
Transients,  particularly  small  troops  of  singing  males,  swell 
their  numbers  in  May,  when  the  species  is  one  of  the  most 
conspicuous  among  songsters.  Exceptionally,  a  pair  has  been 
seen  feeding  young  unable  to  fly  as  late  as  September  12,  1905, 
but  as  a  rule  the  species  has  left  the  breeding  grounds  at  the  end 
of  August  and  retired  to  out-of-the-way  places  to  molt,  at  which 
period  the  males  present  a  curiously  spotted  appearance.  Tran- 
sients in  flocks,  all  in  brown,  are  with  us  in  the  bottoms  early 
in  September,  and  birds  in  different  stages  of  molt  are  numerous 
to  the  end  of  the  month,  but  are  gone  soon  after  the  first  of  Octo- 
ber, though  occasionally  found  in  large  numbers  to  the  second 
week  of  that  month.  In  especially  favored  localities  some  have 
been  known  to  linger  even  longer.  Latest  for  St.  Louis,  October 
17,  1885. 

599.  CYANOSPIZA  AMOENA  (Say).    Lazuli  Bunting. 

Emberiza  amoena.     Fringilla  amoena.     Spiza  amoena.     Passerina  amoena. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  United  States  and  British  Columbia; 
north  to  Idaho,  Montana;  east  to  South  Dakota,  western  Ne- 
braska, western  Kansas;  in  winter  to  Mexico. 

This  species  must  be  regarded  as  an  accidental  visitor  to 
Missouri,  though  mentioned  by  G.  S.  Agersborg  as  occurring  in 
summer  and  probably  breeding  in  eastern  South  Dakota  (Auk 
vol.  2,  p.  281),  and  has  been  taken  twice  in  eastern  Nebraska 
east  of  the  97  meridian.  It  enters  the  list  of  Missouri  birds  on 
the  strength  of  two  specimens,  a  male  and  a  female,  taken  at 
St.  Joseph  out  of  a  flock  of  young  birds,  September  13,  1894, 
by  Mr.  Sidney  S.  Wilson. 

[601.  CYANOSPIZA  CIRIS  (Linn.).    Painted  Bunting.] 

Emberiza  ciris.     Passerina  ciris.     Fringitta  ciris.     Spiza  ciris.     Nonpareil. 
Painted  Finch.     Pope. 

Geog.  Dist. — South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States  to  western  Texas ; 
north  to  North  Carolina,  southern  Illinois,  southern  Kansas. 
In  winter  to  Bahamas,  Cuba,  Mexico,  Central  America  to  Ver- 
agua ;  west  in  transit  to  Arizona. 

No  record  at  present  of  its  occurrence  in  Missouri,  but  search 


198  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

along  our  southern  border  will  probably  reveal  its  presence  as 
a  rare  summer  resident  in  the  valleys  leading  up  from  the  south. 
The  species  has  been  observed  by  Mrs.  L.  McG.  Stephenson  at 
Helena,  Ark.,  and  by  Mr.  Philo  W.  Smith  Jr.,  at  Eureka  Springs, 
Ark. 

*604.  SPIZA  AMERICANA  (Gmel.).    Dickcissel. 

Emberiza  americana.     Fringilla  americana.     Euspiza  americana.     Black- 
throated  Bunting. 

Geog.  Dist. — United  States  east  of  Rocky  Mountains,  north 
to  Massachusetts,  southern  Ontario,  Michigan,  Wisconsin, 
Minnesota,  North  Dakota;  now  extinct  east  of  Alleghany 
Mountains ;  breeds  from  Alabama,  Mississippi,  Texas,  northward 
and  winters  south  of  United  States,  migrating  through  New 
Mexico,  Arizona,  Mexico  (both  coasts)  and  Central  America 
to  Columbia  and  Trinidad. 

In  Missouri  a  common  summer  resident  in  the  prairie  and 
Ozark  border  regions;  rare  in  the  Ozarks  where  only  in  open, 
long  settled  localities;  sparingly  on  the  cultivated  ridges  of  the 
southeast.  The  first  arrive  nearly  throughout  the  state  during 
the  fourth  week  of  April,  at  least  the  forerunners  do,  impatient 
males  which  want  to  reach  their  old  haunts  before  rivals  arrive. 
Females  do  not  appear  before  the  first  week  in  May,  and  the 
great  mass  of  the  species,  including  the  young  of  last  year,  comes 
only  during  the  second  week  of  the  month.  Transients  may  be 
seen  flying  over  in  the  early  morning  from  the  last  days  of  April 
to  May  20,  some  following  the  prairie  region  going  east,  others, 
coming  from  the  south,  cross  the  heavily  wooded  part  of  Missouri 
in  a  northerly  direction.  The  first  brood  is  able  to  take  care 
of  itself  by  July  1,  but  we  sometimes  see  parents  feeding  young 
after  the  middle  of  August.  When  the  breeding  season  closes, 
families  gather  into  small  flocks  and  are  seen  flying  south  in  the 
early  hours  of  the  day  from  August  20  to  September  10.  To 
the  general  observer  the  species  is  rare  after  the  middle  of  Sep- 
tember, but  for  one  who  knows  the  roosts  the  last  has  not  gone 
before  the  first  of  October. 

605.  CALAMOSPIZA  MELANOCORYS  Stejn.    Lark  Bunting. 

Fringilla    bicolor.     Calamospiza    bicolor.     Corydalina    bicolor.     Dolichonyx 
bicolor. 

Geog.  Dist. — Great  Plains  between  Missouri  River  and  Rocky 
Mountains;  breeding  from  middle  and  western  Kansas,  eastern 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.   199 

Colorado,  western  Minnesota  to  Manitoba  and  Assiniboia; 
migrating  south  and  southwest  through  Texas,  New  Mexico  and 
Arizona  to  plateau  of  Mexico,  Lower  California  and  coast  of 
southern  California. 

In  his  Journal  of  an  Exploration  of  western  Missouri  in  1854, 
Dr.  P.  R.  Hoy  lists  the  Lark  Bunting,  Dolichonyx  bicolor,  among 
his  153  species  of  birds  observed  between  April  16  and  June  15. 
Under  date  of  May  30,  1854,  he  writes:  "On  the  way  I  saw 
the  only  prairie  reed  bird  (Dolichonyx  bicolor)  I  ever  met.  I 
followed  it  in  full  chase,  under  a  hot  sun,  at  least  two  miles 
before  I  shot  it.  Although  greatly  fatigued  I  was  well  satisfied 
at  my  final  success  in  obtaining  the  much  coveted  bird."  This 
was  near  the  state  line,  while  driving  north  from  Sugar  River 
on  the  old  military  trail  (Linn  Co.,  Kan.,  and  Bates  Co.,  Mo.). 
Audubon  found  it  in  Harrison  Co.,  la.,  where  Bell  shot  two 
males  May  13,  1843.  It  has  also  been  taken  in  Nebraska  within 
fifty  miles  of  Missouri  at  Beatrice  and  Lincoln,  and  is  mentioned 
as  a  common  summer  resident  in  the  southeastern  corner  of 
South  Dakota  by  G.  S.  Agersborg  (Auk  vol.  2,  p.  281). 

Family  TANAGRIDAE.    Tanagers. 
*608.  PIRANGA  ERYTHROMELAS  Vieillot.    Scarlet  Tanager. 

Pyranga  erythromelas.     Tanagra  rubra.     Pyranga  rubra. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America  north  to  the  Maritime 
Provinces,  northern  Ontario,  Manitoba,  eastern  Assiniboia; 
west  to  eastern  Kansas,  Nebraska,  rarely  to  Wyoming  and  Colo- 
rado. Breeds  from  Virginia,  Kentucky,  southern  Missouri 
northward;  in  winter  to  the  West  Indies  and  through  Mexico, 
Central  America  and  northern  South  America  to  Bolivia  and 
central  Peru. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  summer  resident  in  the  woods 
of  the  prairie  and  Ozark  border  region;  frequent  in  the  valleys 
of  the  Ozarks  into  northern  Arkansas,  but  rare  in  the  southeast 
(Mr.  B.  T.  Gault  found  it  breeding  in  Heburn,  Ark.,  in  1888  and 
Mr.  Philo  W.  Smith,  Jr.,  writes  that,  it  was  fairly  common  in 
the  vicinity  of  Eureka  Springs  in  the  summer  of  1906,  where  he 
found  the  Summer  Tanager  strangely  absent).  The  first  reach 
southeastern  Missouri  in  the  third  week  of  April,  central  Missouri 
in  the  fourth,  and  the  northern  border  in  the  last  days  of  the 
month  or  early  in  May.  Females  come  a  few  days  after  the 


200  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

males  and  it  is  generally  May  3,  when  the  song  of  the  Scarlet 
Tanagers  becomes  common  in  the  neighborhood  of  St.  Louis. 
When  their  song  ceases  in  July  the  bird  becomes  retiring  and  their 
presence  is  often  only  indicated  by  their  peculiar  call  note. 
About  the  middle  of  September  they  become  prominent  once 
more  in  their  traveling  dress  migrating  with  troops  of  northern 
warblers  leisurely  through  Missouri.  They  are  thus  met  with 
occasionally  to  the  end  of  the  month,  but  loiterers  are  seen  not 
rarely  in  October,  as  October  6,  1905  and  October  14,  1906 
(St.  Louis). 

*610.  PIRANGA  RUBRA  (Linn.).    Summer  Tanager. 

Tanagra    aestiva.     Pyranga    aestiva.     Pyranga    mississippensis.     Summer 
Redbird. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States,  north  to  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  central  Indiana,  central  Illinois,  southern 
Iowa,  southeastern  Nebraska;  casual  northward.  In  winter 
to  Bahamas,  Cuba,  eastern  Mexico,  Central  America,  northern 
South  America  to  Peru. 

In  Missouri  a  common  summer  resident  in  the  Ozark  and 
Ozark  border  region;  fairly  common  in  the  prairie  region, 
becoming  scarcer  as  the  northern  border  is  approached.  Mr. 
E.  S.  Currier  considers  it  a  very  rare  summer  visitor  at  Keokuk 
and  never  found  it  breeding.  Mr.  S.  S.  Wilson  took  a  male  at 
St.  Joseph,  May  4,  1895,  and  saw  one  June  12,  1896.  Audubon 
saw  it  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  May  4,  1843.  The  first  arrive  in 
their  haunts  on  the  sunny  hillsides  of  the  Ozarks  in  the  third 
week  of  April;  in  the  Ozark  border  region  of  St.  Louis  Co.  in 
the  fourth  week  or,  if  the  weather  should  be  unfavorable,  only 
at  the  end  of  the  month  or  early  in  May,  when  they  usually 
become  common.  Both  species  of  Tanagers  often  occur  together 
in  the  same  woods,  but  as  a  rule  the  Summer  Tanager  prefers 
the  hills,  while  the  Scarlet  Tanager  takes  to  the  timber  in  the 
river  bottoms.  This  species  is  also  much  more  likely  to  become 
reconciled  with  modern  conditions  and  makes  its  nest  in  the 
trees  of  villages  and  suburbs  and  partakes  of  our  hospitality  in 
the  orchard  and  vineyard.  They  remain  with  us  to  the  latter 
part  of  September  and  not  a  few  linger  into  October  (October  5, 
1904,  Shannon  Co.;  October  5,  1906,  St.  Louis). 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.   201 


Family  HIRUNDINIDAE.    Swallows. 
*611.  PROGNE  SUBIS  (Linn.).    Purple  Martin. 

Hirundo  subis.     Hirundo  purpurea.     Progne  purpurea.     Martin. 

Geog.  Dist. — United  States  (except  Pacific  coast)  and  southern 
Canada,  north  to  Maine,  New  Brunswick,  Nova  Scotia,  Ontario, 
Manitoba,  Saskatchewan,  Alberta  and  Vancouver,  B.  C.  Breeds 
from  southern  Florida  and  southern  Texas,  and  plateau  of  Mexico 
northward,  and  winters  from  southern  Florida  and  Mexico  to 
Venezuela  and  Brazil. 

In  Missouri  a  common  and  generally  distributed  summer 
resident  in  cities  and  towns  and  on  many  farms  wherever  boxes 
or  nesting  sites  are  found;  most  abundant  in  old  towns  along 
rivers.  The  first  Martins  arrive  in  southern  Missouri  in  the 
second  week  of  March,  at  St.  Louis  in  the  third,  and  in  northern 
Missouri  in  the  fourth  week  of  the  month.  Increase  is  slow  and 
the  bulk  of  the  species  has  not  come  before  a  month  later,  while 
birds  of  the  second  year  are  not  in  full  numbers  before  the  middle 
of  May.  As  soon  as  the  young  are  able  to  fly  the  distance,  the 
whole  family  goes  to  the  common  roost  and  Martins  become 
scarce  at  their  breeding  places  about  the  middle  of  July,  when 
all  the  young  are  on  wing.  On  their  favorite  hunting  grounds 
and  especially  at  the  roosts  in  the  willows  on  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi,  Martins  are  present  and  numerous  until  the  middle 
of  September,  after  which  only  stragglers  are  left.  Last  date 
at  St.  Louis  September  24.  Migration  from  the  north  sets  in 
about  the  middle  of  August  and  from  August  24  to  September 
10  extraordinary  numbers  go  to  the  common  roosts  in  the  willows 
(See  Forest  and  Stream,  vol.  23,  no.  10).  Though  English  Spar- 
rows are  said  to  drive  the  Martins  away,  no  decrease  is  noticeable 
in  Missouri,  and  with  a  little  help  from  us  English  Sparrows  can 
easily  be  kept  out  of  Martins'  houses.  For  an  account  of  "How 
Young  Martins  are  fed"  see  Forest  and  Stream,  vol.  22,  no.  25, 
reprinted  in  vol.  1,  p.  6  of  the  Audubon  Magazine,  July  1887. 

*612.  PETROCHELIDON  LUNIFRONS  (Say).    Cliff  Swallow. 

Hirundo  lunifrons.     Hirundo  republican^,.     Hirundo  fulva.     Eave  Swallow. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America  north  to  Cape  Breton,  Anticosti, 
Godbout;  in  the  interior  to  Mackenzie  and  Yukon  Valley, 
and  on  the  Pacific  coast  to  British  Columbia;  breeding  nearly 


202  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

over  the  whole  United  States  (except  Rio  Grande  Valley  and 
northwestern  Mexico).  In  winter  through  Mexico  and  Central 
America  to  Honduras,  possibly  to  Brazil,  Paraguay,  Argentina, 
etc.  Rare  south  of  Potomac  and  Ohio  Rivers;  no  record  from 
Florida  and  the  West  Indies. 

In  Missouri  the  Cliff  Swallow  is  a  summer  resident  of  only 
local  occurrence  and  not  as  numerous  as  it  formerly  was.  At 
breeding  stands  where  traces  of  thousands  of  former  nests  are 
to  be  seen,  as  for  instance  on  the  ledges  above  Elk  River  near 
Noel  in  McDonald  Co.,  none  are  left.  In  localities  where  twenty 
years  ago  hundreds  of  nests  were  seen  on  barns,  none  are  seen. 
Prejudice  and  cruel  delight  in  destroying  the  nests  at  the  time 
of  incubation  or  when  feeding  young  have  done  it.  The  arrival 
in  spring  takes  place  in  the  second  half  of  April  and  early  May, 
when  they  begin  at  once  to  build  their  mud-nests.  The  only 
time  when  the  species  is  present  in  great  numbers  is  from  the 
middle  of  August  to  the  middle  of  September.  At  this  period 
of  southward  migration  thousands  and  thousands  gather  at 
night  at  the  common  roosts  in  the  Spartina  marshes  of  north 
Missouri.  All  are  gone  before  the  end  of  September  (In  the 
Spartina  with  the  Swallows,  by  0.  Widmann.  Bird-Lore, 
vol.  1,  p.  4,  Aug.  1899). 

*613.  HIRUNDO  ERYTHROGASTER  Bodd.    Barn  Swallow. 

Chelidon    erythrogastra.     Hirundo    rufa.     Hirundo     horreorum.     Hirundo 
americana.     Hirundo  rustica. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America,  north  to  Newfoundland,  Lab- 
rador, Ungava,  the  Northwest  Territories  and  Alaska;  breeding 
over  whole  of  United  States  (except  Florida)  and  through 
central  and  western  Mexico;  in  winter  from  southern  Florida 
and  southern  Mexico  through  Central  and  South  America  to 
southern  Brazil,  Paraguay,  Argentina,  Bolivia,  Peru,  West 
Indies. 

In  Missouri  a  summer  resident  of  general  distribution,  but  no- 
where common.  It  is  found  in  the  state  from  early  in  April 
to  the  middle  of  October  (earliest  April  3,  1903,  Currier,  Keokuk; 
latest,  October  14,  1905,  Horse  Shoe  Lake,  St.  Charles  Co.). 
The  ranks  of  breeders  fill  up  slowly  and  troops  of  transients 
have  been  noticed  as  late  as  the  middle  of  May.  The  species 
is  most  numerous  in  fall  migration,  when  large  flocks  gather  in 
the  marshes  and  roost  in  the  reeds  of  lakes.  As  a  breeder  the 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  203 

Barn  Swallow  is  more  common  northward  than  southward, 
in  the  prairie  region  oftener  than  in  the  Ozarks  and  rare  in  the 
southeast. 

*614.  IRIDOPROCNE  BICOLOR  (Vieill.).    Tree  Swallow. 

Hirundo  bicolor.     Tachycineta  bicolor.     Hirundo  viridis.     Wood  Swallow. 
White-bellied  Swallow.     White-belly. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America,  north  to  Newfoundland,  Lab- 
rador, Ungava,  Mackenzie  and  Alaska;  breeding  from  Vir- 
ginia, Mississippi  and  Kansas,  Colorado,  Utah  and  California 
northward  and  wintering  from  the  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf 
coasts  southward  to  Bahamas,  Cuba  and  over  Mexico  to 
Guatemala. 

In  Missouri  a  scarce  summer  resident  in  the  bottoms  of  large 
rivers  as  far  south  as  the  southern  border  of  Dunklin  Co.,  but 
more  commonly  northward.  The  first  arrive  the  middle  of 
March  and  the  last  are  with  us  till  the  end  of  October.  Tran- 
sients are  with  us  in  small  troops  in  spring  from  March  15  to 
May  15,  and  in  large  flocks  of  many  thousands  in  the  Missis- 
sippi bottom  from  the  middle  of  September  to  the  middle  of 
October,  after  nearly  all  the  other  swallows  are  gone  (October 
28,  1885,  Fayette,  Howard  Co.;  October  31.  1899,  Keokuk, 
Currier) . 

*616.  RIPARIA  RIP  ARIA  (Linn.).    Bank  Swallow. 

Hirundo    riparia.     Cotyle    and    Cotile    riparia.     Clivicola    riparia.     Sand 
Martin. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  Hemisphere;  in  America  breeding 
from  Georgia,  Louisiana,  Texas,  Arizona  and  northern  Mexico 
north  to  the  arctic  region.  In  winter  through  Mexico,  Central 
and  South  America  to  eastern  Peru  and  Brazil,  also  West 
Indies. 

In  Missouri  chiefly  along  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  Rivers, 
breeding  in  smaller  or  larger  colonies,  either  directly  over  the 
water  on  the  banks  or  over  quarries,  in  railroad  cuts,  etc.,  on 
the  bluffs  sometimes  a  mile  or  more  from  the  river.  They  are 
among  the  latest  swallows  to  arrive  at  their  breeding  stands, 
seldom  before  the  fourth  week  of  April  (earliest  April  21,  1883 
and  1887,  St.  Louis)  and  are  generally  not  building  in  large  num- 
bers before  the  fifth  of  May.  Young  and  old  collect  in  immense 
flocks  in  the  river  bottoms  as  early  as  July  1,  scattering  while 


204  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

feeding  and  gathering  at  the  roosts  in  the  evening,  some  with 
the  Cliff  Swallows  in  the  marsh,  others  with  the  Martins 
in  the  Willows.  Migration  seems  to  be  well  under  way  by  the 
first  of  August,  keeps  up  during  the  whole  month  and 
in  early  September,  but  the  last  are  gone  by  the  middle 
of  the  month,  departing  with  their  roost-fellows,  the  Martins 
and  Cliff  Swallows. 

*617.  STELGIDOPTERIX    SERRIPENNIS    (Aud.).      Rough-winged 
Swallow. 

Hirundo  serripennis.     Cotyle  serripennis. 

Geog.  Dist. — From  Costa  Rica  to  Connecticut,  central  Massa- 
chusetts, southeastern  New  York,  Ontario,  northern  Indiana, 
southern  Wisconsin,  southern  Minnesota,  North  Dakota,  Mon- 
tana, British  Columbia;  breeds  from  Georgia,  Louisiana, 
Texas  and  Vera  Cruz  northward  and  winters  south  of  United 
States. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common,  generally  distributed  summer 
resident,  never  in  large  colonies  like  the  Bank  Swallows,  but 
often  in  their  colonies,  or  in  single  pairs  or  a  few  pairs  near  each 
other,  scattered  along  creeks  and  rivers  in  all  parts  of  the  state, 
perhaps  most  numerous  in  the  Ozark  and  Ozark  border  region 
and  the  bluffs  of  the  larger  rivers.  They  are  among  the  earliest 
of  this  family  to  arrive  at  their  breeding  stands,  where  the 
first  are  seen  in  southern  Missouri  in  the  second  week  of  March 
(March  10,  1902,  Festus,  Jefferson  Co.),  at  St.  Louis  soon  after 
the  middle,  and  at  the  northern  border  before  the  end  of  the 
month.  Like  other  swallows  their  ranks  fill  up  slowly,  and  it 
is  fully  a  month  before  all  have  returned  to  their  wonted  haunts 
about  bridges,  railroad,  cuts,  ravines,  old  quarries,  out  buildings, 
etc.,  always,  if  possible,  not  far  from  water.  Flocks  are  found 
in  August  from  sixty  to  a  hundred  or  more,  adults  and  young, 
mostly  the  latter,  resting  together  for  hours  on  dead  trees  or 
brush  on  the  banks  of  lakes  or  rivers,  feeding  together,  keeping 
and  moving  together  until  the  time  for  departure  has  come. 
From  most  of  their  haunts  they  are  gone  by  the  middle  of  Sep- 
tember, but  not  so  from  the  Mississippi  bottom  in  St.  Charles 
Co.  where  they  remain  into  October,  even  into  the  second  week 
of  the  month,  the  last,  a  troop  of  one  hundred,  being  still  present 
October  13,  1905,  at  one  of  their  places  of  rendezvous  at  Horse 
Shoe  Lake,  an  old  bed  of  the  Cuivre  River. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  205 

Family  AMPELIDAE.     Waxwings  etc. 
Subfamily  Ampelinae.     Waxwings. 

618.  AMPELIS  GARRULUS  Linn.    Bohemian  Waxwings. 
Bombycilla  garrida.     Bohemian  Chatterer. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  parts  of  Northern  Hemisphere,  breed- 
ing in  coniferous  forests  of  the  Boreal  Life  Zone;  in  winter 
irregularly  southward;  in  America  to  Connecticut,  Pennsyl- 
vania, Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Missouri,  Kansas,  Colorado, 
northern  California;  breeding  from  Fort  Churchill  in  Kewatin 
and  from  Athabasca  and  western  Alberta  to  Alaska. 

In  Missouri  a  very  rare  winter  visitant  as  far  as  known  at 
present.  One  killed  near  New  Haven,  Franklin  Co.,  in  November, 
1858,  is  in  the  collection  of  Dr.  A.  F.  Eimbeck.  Another  was 
killed  in  Platte  Co,  by  Mr.  John  A.  Bryant  of  Kansas  City. 
Mr.  W.  E.  Praeger  writes  that  two  were  shot  out  of  a  flock 
near  Keokuk,  December  27,  1896.  Mr.  Chas.  K.  Worthen 
writes  that  at  Warsaw,  111.,  specimens  were  taken  and  small 
flocks  seen  a  number  of  times.  The  occurrence  of  the  species 
is  reported  from  a  point  near  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  Villa 
Ridge,  Pulaski  Co.,  Ill,  where,  December  18,  1879,  Prof.  S.  A. 
Forbes  took  a  fine  specimen;  this  is  the  most  southern  record 
in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  In  Nebraska  it  has  repeatedly  been 
taken  in  different  parts  of  the  state  between  November  15 
and  March  1;  also  in  Kansas  and  Illinois,  where  a  large  flock 
was  once  found  feeding  on  Juniper  berries,  March  16,  1876. 

*619.  AMPELIS  CEDRORUM  (Vieill.).    Cedar  Waxwing. 

Ampdis  americana.     Bombycilla  americana.     Bombycilla  carolinensis.    Ce- 
darbird.     Cherrybird. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America,  north  to  Prince  Edward  Island, 
Hudson  Bay,  Manitoba,  Saskatchewan  and  British  Columbia; 
breeding  from  Virginia,  North  Carolina,  Kentucky,  Missouri, 
Kansas,  New  Mexico  and  Arizona  northward  and  wintering 
in  whole  of  United  States,  south  to  Bahamas  and  through  Mexico 
to  Costa  Rica. 

As  a  summer  resident  in  the  sense  of  breeder,  its  usual  meaning, 
the  Cedarbird  is  apparently  rare  in  Missouri,  although  common 
during  a  large  part  of  our  long  summers.  The  species  is  with  us 


206  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

in  force  when  our  early  cherries  are  ripening  until  the  middle 
of  June,  and  as  early  as  the  middle  of  August,  when  the  wild 
cherries  and  grapes  are  getting  ripe,  we  meet  them  again  in  flocks, 
but  this  time  with  fully  grown  young,  known  by  their  streaked 
underparts.  It  is  probable  that  all  the  young  ones  which  we  see 
in  August  are  bred  in  the  state,  but  there  is  no  bird  more  secre- 
tive than  the  Cedarbird  in  breeding  time.  We  never  hear  it, 
because  it  has  nothing  to  say,  being  always  alone,  and,  when 
we  happen  to  see  one,  which  is  seldom,  it  seems  in  great  haste 
to  go  to  a  place  far  away.  It  may  nest  in  our  own  garden  or 
orchard  and  we  will  not  be  the  wiser  until  perchance  one  of  the 
youngsters  comes  to  our  door,  or,  what  has  actually  happened 
to  the  writer,  into  the  house  itself,  before  it  can  fly.  That  it 
used  to  nest  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis  is  attested  by  Mr.  Philo  W. 
Smith,  Jr.,  who  found  nests  in  Tower  Grove  Park  in  1900  and 
in  North  St.  Louis  in  1891.  Mr.  C.  W.  Prier  found  a  nest, 
July  16,  1903,  in  an  orchard  in  Appleton  City,  and  the  species 
is  given  as  a  breeder  in  Lawrence  Co.,  by  Mr.  H.  Nehrling; 
in  Warrensburg  by  Mr.  A.  F.  Smithson;  in  Keokuk  by  Mr. 
E.  S.  Currier.  Orchards,  cemeteries,  city  parks,  and  the  shade 
trees  in  the  immediate  surroundings  of  houses  in  the  country, 
seem  to  be  the  places  where  we  have  to  look  for  their  nests  from 
the  middle  of  June  to  the  end  of  July.  Though  we  may  meet 
with  flocks  of  Cedarbirds  in  any  month  of  the  year,  there  are 
certain  times  when  we  can  count  on  seeing  them  with  us  regularly 
and  in  numbers.  This  is  the  time  of  the  mulberries  and  first 
cherries  in  May,  and  of  the  abundance  of  wild  fruit  of  many  kinds, 
wild  cherries,  grapes,  hackberries,  smilax,  etc.,  from  the  latter 
part  of  August  to  the  middle  of  October.  During  the  day  they 
roam  in  search  of  food  in  troops  of  thirty  or  more  and  in  the 
evening  assemble  in  large  numbers  at  a  common  roost,  prefer- 
able the  willows  in  the  river  bottoms.  They  are  great  wan- 
derers and,  although  withdrawing  from  the  state  during  the 
coldest  spells  of  winter,  the  first  flocks  are  back  again  as  soon 
as  the  weather  moderates,  be  this  in  January,  February  or 
March. 

Family  LANIIDAE.     Shrikes. 
621.  LANIUS  BOREALIS  Vieill.     Northern  Shrike. 

Lanius  excubitor.     Collyrio  borealis.     Collurio  borealis.     Butcherbird. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northern  North  America,  breeding  from  Labra- 
dor  and    Saskatchewan   north   to   Alaska.     In    winter   south 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.   207 

from  the  Maritime  Provinces  and  Ontario  to  Virginia,  Ken- 
tucky, Missouri,  Kansas,  New  Mexico,  Arizona  and  central  Cali- 
fornia. 

In  Missouri  a  rather  common  winter  resident  from  the  latter 
part  of  October  to  early  March.  Earliest  dates  at  Keokuk, 
October  25,  1900;  October  27,  1896  and  1901;  October  31, 
1897;  latest,  March  7, 1896  and  1897,  March  9, 1902,  and  March 
17,  1901;  April  9,  1899.  Earliest  at  St.  Louis,  November  2, 
1906;  latest  from  St.  Joseph,  April  7,  1896.  Mr.  Chas.  L. 
Eimbeck  has  three  fine  specimens  in  his  collection  taken  near 
New  Haven,  Mo.,  but  there  are  at  present  no  records  available 
from  the  state  south  of  St.  Louis  and  Franklin  Counties. 

*622e.   LANIUS  LUDOVICIANUS  MIGRANS  W.  Palmer.    Migrant 
Shrike. 

Collyrio  excubitoroides.     Collurio   ludomcianus  var.  excubitoroides.     Lanius 
ludovicianus.     Northern  Loggerhead  Shrike. 

Geog.  Dist. — Greater  part  of  the  United  States  east  of  the 
Great  Plains,  but  very  local  in  more  eastern  districts;  breeding 
north  to  New  Brunswick,  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  Vermont, 
northern  New  York,  Quebec,  Ontario,  Michigan,  Wisconsin, 
Minnesota  and  southward  to  midland  Virginia  and  western  North 
Carolina,  Kentucky,  Missouri,  and  eastern  Kansas;  in  winter 
from  Missouri,  etc.,  southward  to  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  Texas. 

This  new  subspecies  has  lately  been  separated  from  typical 
ludovicianus,  which  occurs  only  in  the  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf 
States,  while  the  range  of  the  western  subspecies,  excubitorides, 
the  White-rumped  Shrike,  does  not  reach  our  state,  terminating 
in  central  Kansas  and  eastern  Nebraska.  In  Missouri,  a  fairly 
common  summer  resident  on  cultivated  land,  chiefly  in  the 
prairie  and  Ozark  border  region,  scarce  in  the  Ozarks  and  the 
southeast.  In  mild  winters  some  remain  at  their  breeding  stands 
from  the  Missouri  River  southward,  but  the  majority  leave  the 
state  In  October  and  do  not  return  till  the  third  week  of  March, 
when  the  first  Shrikes  are  back  at  their  stations  in  all  parts  of 
the  state.  Full  numbers  are  present  before  the  end  of  the 
month,  when  the  old  pairs  have  already  begun  building  their 
nests,  the  species  being  among  the  earliest  breeders,  having 
fully  fledged  young  in  the  fourth  week  of  May.  They  make 
very  amusing  pets,  being  remarkably  bright  and  the  males 
somewhat  musical. 


208  Trans.  A  cad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 


Family  VIREONIDAE.     Vireos. 
*624.  VIREO  OLIVACEUS  (Linn.).    Red-eyed  Vireo. 

Muscicapa  olivacea.     Vireosylvia  or  Vireosylva  olivacea.      "The  Preacher." 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America,  chiefly  eastern,  west  to  Utah, 
Washington  and  British  Columbia;  north  to  Nova  Scotia, 
Prince  Edward  Island,  Kewatin,  Saskatchewan  and  southern 
Mackenzie;  breeds  from  southern  Florida  and  western  Texas 
northward  throughout  all  wooded  regions.  In  winter  through 
Mexico,  Central  and  South  America  to  Brazil,  Bolivia  and  east- 
ern Peru. 

In  Missouri  the  most  evenly  distributed  woodland  summer 
resident  from  April  till  October.  It  is  equally  at  home  in  the 
overflowed  region  of  the  southeast  as  on  the  driest  hilltops 
of  the  Ozarks  and  in  the  small  wood-patch  left  on  northern  and 
western  farm  lands.  It  begins  to  sing  soon  after  its  arrival, 
which  is  in  the  southeast  as  early  as  April  10;  at  St.  Louis 
and  central  Missouri  generally  between  April  21  and  26,  some- 
times even  earlier  as  April  16,  1896,  April  17,  1885;  and  along 
the  northern  border  about  the  first  of  May.  Its  song  is  heard 
all  spring  and  summer,  even  during  the  hottest  hours,  when 
most  other  birds  are  silent.  After  a  silence  of  five  or  six  weeks 
the  song  is  taken  up  again  before  its  departure  and  is  heard  as 
late  as  September  21,  1895,  and  September  24,  1887.  The  bulk 
of  transients  passes  through  early  in  May,  and  again  about  the 
middle  of  September.  The  species  is  scarce  after  September 
25,  but  October  records  are  not  rare,  October  1,  1895,  being  the 
last  for  Keokuk  and  October  10,  1885,  for  St.  Louis. 

626.  VIREO  PHILADELPHICUS  (Cass.).    Philadelphia  Vireo. 

Vireosylva  or  Vireosylvia  phUadelphica.     Brotherlylove  Vireo. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Maine,  New 
Brunswick,  Ontario,  Manitoba,  Athabasca;  breeds  along  the 
northern  border  of  the  United  States,  but  chiefly  north  of  it, 
and  migrates  over  the  whole  of  the  United  States  east  of  the 
Plains  (more  sparingly  east  of  Alleghanies)  to  Central  America 
(no  Mexican  or  West  Indian  records). 

With  the  exception  of  one,  May  8,  1898,  from  Independence 
by  Mr.  Chas.  Tindall,  there  are  no  records  of  the  occurrence  of 
this  species  in  western  Missouri.  In  eastern  Missouri  it  is  a 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  209 

rather  rare,  but  regular,  transient  visitant,  especially  frequent 
in  the  swampy  southeast  and  along  the  shores  of  the  Missis- 
sippi River  from  May  5  to  22.  They  seem  sometimes  to  be 
quite  at  home  here  and  give  their  song  freely.  The  return  move- 
ment in  fall  extends  over  a  period  of  from  three  to  four  weeks, 
from  the  second  week  of  September  to  the  first  of  October. 
Earliest,  September  9,  1887;  latest,  October  4,  1895,  in  Dunklin 
Co.  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff's  capture  of  a  Philadelphia  Vireo 
May  9,  1907,  in  Shannon  Co.,  the  heart  of  the  Ozarks,  proves 
that  its  transit  through  Missouri  is  not  confined  to  the  low  land, 
where  it  has  generally  been  observed,  but  takes  place,  as  is  the 
case  with  most  other  northern  warblers,  in  a  broad  front,  cov- 
ering most,  if  not  all,  of  the  state.  Two  were  taken  by  Mr. 
Woodruff,  May  17,  and  one  male,  May  24,  1907,  at  Grandin, 
Carter  Co. 

*627.  VIREO  GILVUS  (Vieill.).    Warbling  Vireo. 

Vireosylva  or  Vireosylvia  gilva.     Muscicapa  gilva.     Muscicapa  mdodia. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Nova  Scotia, 
northern  Ontario,  Manitoba,  west  to  North  Dakota,  southeast- 
ern Montana,  Kansas,  Oklahoma  and  Texas;  breeding  from 
Florida  and  Texas  northward  and  wintering  south  of  the  United 
States,  probably  in  Mexico.  The  typical  species  is  replaced 
westward  by  the  lately  separated  subspecies,  V.  gilvus  swainsonii 
(Baird),  which  winters  in  Mexico. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  summer  resident  of  general  dis- 
tribution. Originally  inhabiting  the  trees  along  rivers  and  lakes, 
it  has  now  accommodated  itself  to  the  new  conditions  and  likes 
to  live  in  orchards,  gardens  and  parks,  even  in  the  shade  trees 
of  big  cities,  where  its  song  may  be  heard  with  a  short  pause  in 
August  during  its  entire  stay  from  the  middle  of  April  till  Sep- 
tember 20.  It  is  one  of  the  earliest  species  of  the  genus  Vireo 
to  arrive  in  spring,  the  earliest  being  April  6,  1893,  and  April  8, 
1890.  This  is  the  usual  time  for  its  appearance  in  the  southeast; 
at  St.  Louis  the  majority  of  records  are  between  April  16  and  20; 
in  cool  springs  a  few  days  later.  By  the  end  of  April  the  bulk  is 
present  all  over  the  state,  also  transients,  and  the  species  is  one 
of  the  most  musical  in  the  great  bird  concert  of  that  lovely  sea- 
son. Fall  migration  takes  place  in  September,  September  15, 
1895,  being  the  last  date  at  Keokuk,  and  September  27,  1891, 
for  St.  Louis. 


210  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

*628.  VIREO  FLAVIFRONS  Vieill.     Yellow-throated  Vireo. 

Muscicapa  sylvicola.     Lanivireo  flavifrons. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  southern  Canada, 
north  to  Maine,  Vermont,  northern  New  York,  southern  Ontario 
and  Manitoba;  west  to  the  edge  of  the  Plains;  breeds  from 
northern  Florida  and  southern  Texas  northward  and  winters 
from  southern  Florida  and  Cuba  south  through  eastern  Mexico 
and  Central  America  to  Colombia. 

In  Missouri  a  common  and  generally  distributed  summer  resi- 
dent in  all  wooded  districts.  It  is  the  first  of  the  Vireos  to  ar- 
rive in  the  state,  having  been  heard  as  early  as  March  30,  1896, 
in  the  southeast.  In  the  region  of  St.  Louis  it  may  be  looked 
for  between  April  15  and  20  with  much  certainty;  earliest  date, 
April  13,  1887;  latest,  April  27.  The  return  movement  from 
more  northern  breeding  grounds  takes  place  in  September,  when 
it  is  for  a  while  more  conspicuous  than  ordinarily.  Its  song  has 
been  heard  every  day  from  September  1  to  9,  and  at  intervals 
throughout  the  month — September  28,  1895,  September  29, 
1905,  October  1,  1887,  October  2,  1906.  Last  individuals  are 
•noted  as  late  as  October  11,  1887,  and  October  12,  1895,  at  St. 
Louis,  and  October  17,  1903,  at  Monteer,  Shannon  Co.,  by  Mr. 
Savage,  but  the  bulk  of  the  species  leaves  us  from  about  Sep- 
tember 22  to  25. 

629.  VIREO  SOLITARIUS  (Wils.).     Blue-headed  Vireo. 

Muscicapa  solitaria.     Lanivireo  solitarius.     Solitary  Vireo. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America;  north  to  Prince  Ed- 
ward Island,  Keewatin,  Athabasca,  southern  Mackenzie;  west 
to  border  of  Plains;  breeds  from  southern  New  England,  Penn- 
sylvania, Wisconsin  and  northern  Dakota  northward,  and  win- 
ters from  the  Gulf  coast  (Florida  to  Texas)  southward  to  Cuba, 
eastern  Mexico  and  Guatemala. 

In  Missouri  a  regular  and  fairly  common  transient  visitant, 
passing  through  rather  late  in  both  seasons.  Earliest  date  at 
St.  Louis  is  April  21,  1896,  and  April  22,  1879,  but  the  majority 
of  dates  of  "firsts"  are  between  April  29  and  May  5.  Their  stay 
with  us  lasts  about  two  weeks,  May  10  to  May  16  being  the  dates 
for  birds  last  seen  (May  17,  1907,  St.  Louis).  These  dates  seem 
to  hold  good  also  for  the  western  part  of  the  state  (May  15, 
1899,  Independence,  Tindall;  May  7,  1874,  Warrensburg,  Scott). 
In  fall  their  presence  extends  over  a  period  of  at  least  four 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  211 

weeks  from  the  middle  of  September  to  the  middle  of  October. 
Earliest  date  for  the  state  is  September  4,  1902,  Jasper,  Savage; 
for  St.  Louis,  September  16,  1887;  latest,  October  20,  1893. 
Their  song  is  heard  both  in  spring  and  fall,  oftener  in  the  latter, 
and  mostly  in  October;  earliest  song,  September  24,  1896; 
latest,  October  20,  1893. 

*631.  VIREO  NOVEBORACENSIS  (GmeL).    White-eyed  Vireo. 

Muscicapa  noveboracensis.     Muscicapa  cantatrix. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States;  north  to  Massachusetts, 
New  York  (occasionally  further  north),  to  the  Great  Lakes, 
southern  Wisconsin,  southern  Minnesota;  west  to  eastern  Ne- 
braska, Kansas,  Oklahoma  and  Texas  (except  Rio  Grande  Val- 
ley) ;  breeding  from  northern  Florida  and  Texas  northward,  and 
wintering  from  the  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States  southward 
through  eastern  Mexico  to  Guatemala. 

In  Missouri  a  common  and  generally  distributed  summer  resi- 
dent, rarer  westward  and  most  abundant  in  bottom  land  and 
along  water  courses  throughout  the  different  regions.  In  the 
southeast  the  first  White-eyes  return  to  their  breeding  grounds 
in  the  first  week  of  April  (April  2,  1896).  In  the  vicinity  of  St. 
Louis  the  earliest  date  is  April  11,  1896,  but  commonly  the  dates 
of  " firsts"  fall  between  April  14  and  18,  exceptionally  as  late 
as  April  24,  and  the  bulk  is  always  back  in  the  last  days  of  April 
in  the  western  as  well  as  the  eastern  part  of  central  Missouri 
(Independence,  April  29,  1900;  April  30,  1899,  Tindall).  At 
the  northern  border  Mr.  Currier's  dates  at  Keokuk  vary  between 
May  5,  1896,  and  May  12,  1898.  The  return  movement  south- 
ward takes  place  in  the  middle  of  September,  when  a  decrease 
is  noticeable  after  the  species  has  been  quite  conspicuous  as  a 
songster  during  the  first  half  of  September.  A  few  keep  up  sing- 
ing and  are  occasionally  heard  till  the  end  of  the  month  (Sep- 
tember 28,  1895,  September  29,  1887).  The  last  were  noticed 
as  late  as  October  14,  1885,  but  they  are  always  scarce  after 
September  26  to  September  29,  even  in  southern  Missouri. 

*633.  VIREO  BELLII  Aud.     Bell's  Vireo. 

Vireo  belli. 

Geog.  Dist. — Prairie  districts  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  breed- 
ing from  Tamaulipas  through  eastern  Texas  northward  through 


212  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Missouri  and  Kansas  to  northwestern  Indiana,  northern  Illinois, 
southern  Minnesota  and  South  Dakota.     Winters  in  Mexico. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  summer  resident  in  all  prairie 
districts  and  the  Ozark  border  east  to  St.  Louis  and  northward, 
abundant  at  Keokuk  (E.  S.  Currier).  This  is  the  last  of  the 
Vireos  to  arrive  in  spring.  At  St.  Louis,  and  in  central  Missouri 
generally,  the  first  may  be  expected  between  April  27  and  29, 
sometimes  a  day  or  two  earlier,  as  April  26,  1882,  and  April  25, 
1883.  At  Independence  it  was  noted  by  Mr.  Tindall  April  27, 
1900,  and  April  30,  1899.  At  Warrensburg  May  5,  1874,  by 
W.  E.  D.  Scott.  Audubon  met  with  Bell's  Vireo  May  6,  1843, 
in  the  region  of  St.  Joseph.  Its  arrival  is  reported  May  4,  1902, 
at  Jasper  by  Mr.  Savage,  and  May  5,  1885  and  1886,  at  Mt.  Car- 
mel  by  Mrs.  Musick.  Mr.  Currier's  dates  vary  between  April  30, 
1895,  and  May  9,  1899,  at  Keokuk.  The  bulk  of  the  species 
does  not  come  to  St.  Louis  before  the  first  week  of  May  and  a 
week  later  to  Keokuk.  It  sings  almost  as  long  as  it  is  with 
us,  even  through  August.  Last  day  of  its  song  and  presence  at 
St.  Louis  is  September  22,  1905,  and  this  seems  to  be  the  time  of 
departure  from  its  breeding  grounds  generally.  Last  at  St. 
Joseph,  September  19,  1894,  S.  S.  Wilson;  at  Jasper,  September 
16,  1901,  and  September  20,  1902;  at  Monteer,  Shannon  Co., 
September  5,  1903,  W.  G.  Savage. 

Family  MJSHOTILTIDAE.    Wood  Warblers. 
*636.  MNIOTILTA  VARIA  (Linn.).     Black  and  White  Warbler. 

Certhia  varia.  Sylvia  varia.  Certhia  maculata.  Sylvicola  varia.  Mnio- 
tilta  borealis.  Mniotilta  varia  borealis.  Black  and  White  Creeping  Warb- 
ler. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  the  upper  Mac- 
kenzie Valley,  Hudson  Bay,  Anticosti  and  Newfoundland;  west 
to  Alberta,  central  Nebraska,  eastern  Texas.  Breeds  from  Vir- 
ginia, Tennessee,  Louisiana  and  Texas  northward,  and  winters 
from  the  Gulf  States  southward  throughout  the  West  Indies, 
Mexico,  Central  America  to  Colombia  and  Venezuela.  - 

In  Missouri  a  common  transient  visitant  and  a  fairly  common 
summer  resident  in  all  wooded  regions,  both  in  low  and  high 
localities,  on  the  islands  in  the  swamps  of  the  southeast,  as  well 
as  throughout  the  valleys  of  the  Ozarks  and  in  the  timber  of 
the  Ozark  border  and  prairie  region.  This  is  one  of  the  first 


Widjnann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  213 

warblers  to  enter  Missouri  in  the  southeast.  Its  wiry  notes  were 
heard  in  Dunklin  Co.  as  early  as  March  10,  1894.  On  March  24, 
1896,  they  were  common  songsters  in  Butler  Co.,  but  the  neigh- 
borhood of  St.  Louis  is  not  reached  before  the  second  or  third 
week  of  April,  earliest  April  7,  1882  (Earliest  for  Vernon  Co., 
April  9,  1894;  for  Keokuk,  April  26,  1902;  for  Shannon  Co., 
April  10,  1904;  for  Mt.  Carmel,  April  18, 1885;  for  Warrensburg, 
April  13,  1874).  During  the  latter  part  of  April  and  first  half 
of  May,  transients  are  present  in  all  parts  of  the  state.  Audubon 
met  with  the  species  at  Fort  Leavenworth  May  4,  1843,  and 
Dr.  J.  A.  Allen  at  the  same  place  about  the  same  time  in  1871. 
It  is  reported  from  St.  Joseph  May  4,  1895,  by  Mr.  S.  S.  Wilson. 
Fall  migration  takes  place  all  through  September,  and  the  species 
is  most  common  between  the  10th  and  20th;  the  last  seen  at 
St.  Louis  September  29,  1887  and  1905,  but  in  Dunklin  Co.  some 
were  present  during  the  first  week  of  October,  1895. 

*637.  PROTONOTARIA  CITREA  (Bodd.).    Prothonotary  Warbler. 

Motacilla  citrea.     Sylvia  protonotarius.    Vermivora  protonotorius.    Helinaia 
protonotarius.     Dacnis  protonotaria.     Sylvicola  auricollis.     Golden 
Swamp  Warbler. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States,  north  to  Virginia,  south- 
ern Ohio,  Indiana,  southern  Michigan,  northeastern  Illinois, 
southern  Wisconsin,  southeastern  Minnesota,  eastern  Nebraska. 
Breeds  from  northern  Florida  and  the  Gulf  coast  to  eastern 
Texas  northward,  and  winters  in  Cuba,  and  through  eastern 
Mexico  and  Central  America  to  Colombia,  Venezuela  and 
Trinidad. 

In  Missouri  a  common  summer  resident  in  the  large  river  val- 
leys, chiefly  that  of  the  Mississippi,  most  abundant  in  the  swamps 
of  the  southeast,  less  common  in  the  valleys  of  the  Ozarks,  but 
occurring  in  every  one,  as  well  as  in  the  western  and  northern 
prairie  region  (Reported  common  at  Warrensburg,  Independ- 
ence, and  Vernon  Co.).  It  is  one  of  the  first  warblers  to  arrive 
in  spring,  its  entrance  into  the  peninsula  being  welcomed  as 
early  as  the  last  day  of  March  (1896).  A  few  days  later  the  fe- 
males join  them  and  pairs  are  seen  entering  holes  in  the  second 
week  of  April.  To  the  central  part  of  the  state  they  do  not  come 
before  the  third  or  fourth  week  of  April,  and  to  the  northern 
border  about  the  first  of  May.  The  species  withdraws  from  Mis- 
souri pretty  early  in  fall.  The  last  date  for  St.  Louis  is  Septem- 


214  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

ber  9,  but  there  is  a  record  from  New  Haven,  September  24, 
1903.  At  the  end  of  the  month  none  were  found  in  the 
peninsula. 

*638.  HELINAIA  SWAINSONII  Aud.     Swainson's  Warbler. 

Sylvia  swainsonii.     Helonaea  swainsoni.     Helmitherus  swainsoni. 

Geog.  Dist. — Southeastern  United  States,  north  to  Virginia, 
southwestern  Indiana,  southwestern  Missouri  and  west  to  Texas. 
In  winter  to  Cuba,  Jamaica  and  Central  America  to  Panama. 

In  Missouri  thus  far  only  found  as  a  summer  resident  on  the 
so-called  islands  in  the  St.  Francis  basin  in  Dunklin  Co.,  but  re- 
search will  probably  reveal  its  occurrence  as  a  not  rare  summer 
resident  throughout  the  swampy  portions  of  the  southeast,  par- 
ticularly in  the  section  east  of  Little  River,  where  large  cane- 
brakes  occur  along  our  southern  state  line.  Vol  12  of  the  Auk 
for  1895  contains  an  announcement  of  its  discovery  in  the  state 
under  the  title:  "Swainson's  Warbler  an  Inhabitant  of  the 
Swampy  Woods  of  Southeastern  Missouri,"  by  0.  Widmann 
(pages  112-117). 

*639.  HELMITHERUS  VERMIVORUS  (Gmel.).     Worm-eating  Warb- 
ler. 

Sylvia  vermivora.     Dacnis  vermivora.     Helinaia  vermivora.     Helmintherus 
vermivorus.     Helminthotherus  vermivorus.     Vermivora  pennsylvanica. 
Worm-eating  Swamp  Warbler. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States,  north  to  southern  Con- 
necticut, southeastern  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  southern  Wis- 
consin, southeastern  Nebraska;  breeds  throughout  its  United 
States  range  and  winters  in  the  Bahamas,  Cuba,  Jamaica,  Mex- 
ico, Yucatan,  Guatemala,  Honduras,  Costa  Rica  and  Panama. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common,  and,  with  the  exception  of  the 
swampy  southeast,  a  generally  distributed  summer  resident, 
rarer  north  and  westward,  most  common  in  the  bluff  regions  of 
the  southern  part  of  the  state,  being  partial  to  wooded  hilly 
ground  near  running  water.  Mr.  Nehrling  considered  it  a  rare 
breeder  in  Lawrence  Co. ;  Mr.  Scott  found  it  rare  at  Warrensburg 
in  1874;  Mr.  Currier  also  calls  it  rare  at  Keokuk.  Mr.  Parker 
found  it  breeding  in  Montgomery  Co.,  and  we  have  reports  of 
its  occurrence  at  Boonville  by  Dr.  Hoy,  April  22,  1854;  at  Mt. 
Carmel  by  Mrs.  Musick,  May  20,  1885;  at  Iberia,  Miller  Co., 
April  28,  1902.  Mr.  B.  T.  Gault  found  it  to  be  a  common 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  215 

breeder  in  Reynolds.  Co,  in  1892,  and  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff  found 
it  common  in  Shannon  Co.,  and  met  with  it  in  Carter  Co.,  May 
30,  1907.  It  begins  to  arrive  on  its  breeding  ground  April  20, 
and  full  numbers  are  present  the  first  of  May.  It  leaves  us  early 
in  September,  the  latest  record  for  St.  Louis,  September  20, 
1890. 

*640.  HELMINTHOPHILA  BACHMANII  Aud.    Bachman's  Warbler. 

Sylvia  bachinani.     Helinaia  bachmanii.     Helminthophaga  bachmani. 

Geog.  Dist. — Southern  United  States;  on  the  Atlantic  coast 
to  Virginia;  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  to  southeastern  Missouri, 
Kentucky,  northeastern  Arkansas ;  formerly  to  southern  Indiana. 
To  Bahamas  in  migration.  Winters  in  Cuba. 

In  Missouri  found  to  be  a  fairly  common  summer  resident 
on  the  islands  in  the  St.  Francis  basin,  where  nests  with  eggs 
were  found  on  Gulp  Island,  May  17,  1897,  and  May  14,  1898. 
The  occurrence  of  the  species  in  Missouri  was  discovered  May  7, 
1896,  and  reported  in  Auk,  vol.  13,  p.  264.  The  discovery  of 
the  first  nest  ever  found  was  described  in  an  article  titled: 
"The  Summer  Home  of  the  Bachman's  Warbler  no  longer  un- 
known/' by  0.  Widmann,  Auk,  vol.  14,  1897,  pages  305-310. 
Nest  and  eggs  (3)  were  presented  to  the  Bendire  Collection  of 
Eggs  in  the  National  Museum  at  Washington.  The  finding  of 
a  second  nest  with  three  eggs  on  the  same  island  was  announced 
in  Osprey,  vol.  3,  page  13;  it  is  in  the  Parker  Norris  collection 
at  Philadelphia.  The  species  arrives  on  its  breeding  grounds 
about  the  middle  of  April ;  males  in  full  song  were  present  April 
17,  1898,  in  Dunklin  Co.  The  range  in  Missouri  has  been  ex- 
tended since  the  above  was  written  by  Mr.  E.  Seymour  Wood- 
ruff's capture  of  a  male  on  May  2,  1907,  near  Ink,  Shannon  Co., 
in  some  low  bushes  in  the  dry  bed  (its  normal  state)  of  Spring 
Valley  and  again  by  his  finding  a  Bachman's  Warbler  near 
Grandin,  Carter  Co.,  May  23,  1907.  Of  this  he  kindly  wrote 
me  the  following:  "This  time  it  was  in  what  I  consider  a  more 
suitable  location — a  dense  tangle  near  the  bank  of  a  stream. 
I  heard  a  song  which  I  recognized  ,at  once  as  a  Bachman's 
though  I  only  had  heard  it  that  once  up  in  Shannon  Co.  It 
took  me  some  little  time  before  I  could  lay  my  eyes  on  him, 
for  he  was  fearfully  shy  and  moved  about  rapidly.  I  did  not 
attempt  to  secure  him  to  confirm  identification  until  I  had  spent 
over  two  hours  there  in  hopes  that  I  might  find  the  nest,  but 


216  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

finally  shot  him  for  fear  I  might  not  find  him  on  a  second  visit. 
I  am  positive  I  heard  another  male  at  the  same  time." 

*641.  HELMINTHOPHILA  PINUS  (Linn.).     Blue- winged  Warbler. 

Certhia  pinus.     Helminthophaga  pinus.     Sylvia  solitaria.     Vermivora  soli- 
taria.     Helinaia  solitaria.     Blue-winged  Yellow  Warbler. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States,  north  to  southern  Con- 
necticut, southeastern  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  northern  Ohio, 
northern  Indiana  and  Illinois,  southern  Wisconsin,  eastern 
Nebraska.  In  winter  through  eastern  Mexico  to  Guatemala, 
Nicaragua  and  Colombia. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  summer  resident  of  general 
distribution,  but  like  other  ground-builders  disappearing  from 
districts  where  the  only  remaining  woodland  is  used  as  pasture 
for  hogs,  which  either  drive  the  birds  from  their  breeding  grounds 
or  destroy  the  eggs  or  young  in  the  nest.  Audubon  met  with 
the  species  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  May  4,  1843,  and  Dr.  J.  A. 
Allen  at  the  same  locality  in  May,  1874 ;  Dr.  Hoy  found  it  at 
Boonville,  April  22,  1854,  and  common  at  Chillicothe,  May  16, 
1854.  It  is  an  inhabitant  of  the  valleys  of  the  Ozarks  and  of 
the  drier  parts  of  the  southeast,  but  the  bluff  region  of  the  rivers 
and  the  Ozark  border  region  seem  to  be  territory  most  fre- 
quented. The  species  is  the  earliest  of  the  genus  to  come  to 
us  in  spring,  appearing  at  our  southern  boundary,  April  3,  1896; 
at  St.  Louis  and  central  Missouri  generally,  April  20;  earliest 
at  St.  Louis,  April  17,  1883;  at  our  northern  border,  April  30 
to  May  5,  when  the  bulk  has  reached  the  rest  of  the  state.  It 
leaves  us  early  in  fall;  the  last  seen  at  St.  Louis  is  September 
6  to  September  10,  (1901). 

641.1.  HELMINTHOPHILA  LEUCOBRONCHIALIS  (Brewster).    Brew- 
ster's  Warbler. 

Helminthophaga  leucobronchialis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Southern  New  England,  New  York,  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  Virginia,  Louisiana,  Michigan. 

For  the  introduction  of  this  interesting  bird  into  our  list  I 
am  indebted  to  Mr.  Edward  Seymour  Woodruff,  who  has  fur- 
nished among  the  many  valuable  notes  made  during  his  two 
months  sojourn  in  Shannon  Co.,  in  the  spring  of  1907,  the 
Brewster's  Warbler,  a  record  new  to  the  state.  In  a  letter  dated 
May  18,  1907,  he  writes:  "It  is  an  absolutely  typical  specimen, 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  217 

for  there  is  not  even  a  suggestion  of  a  yellow  tinge  on  the  breast 
—pure  white  from  bill  to  tail,  and  wingbands  broadly  yellow. 
I  secured  him  on  May  12;  was  attracted  to  it  by  its  song,  which, 
though  similar  in  character  to  that  of  the  Blue-wing,  was  weaker 
and  varied — most  noticeably  different." 


642.  HELMINTHOPHILA  CHRYSOPTERA   (Linn.).     Golden- winged 
Warbler. 

Motacilla  chrysoptera.     Sylvia  chrysoptera.     Vermivora  chrysoptera.     Heli- 
naia  chrysoptera.     Helminthophaga  chrysoptera. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States,  north  to  Massachusetts, 
southwestern  Ontario,  northern  Michigan,  central  Wisconsin, 
southern  Minnesota;  breeding  from  South  Carolina  in  the 
mountains,  and  from  northern  New  Jersey,  northern  Indiana, 
Illinois,  eastern  Nebraska  northward  and  wintering  in  the 
mountains  of  Central  and  South  America  from  Nicaragua  to 
Colombia. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant  in  the  vicinity 
of  St.  Louis,  the  bluffs  of  the  Mississippi  being  the  only  locality 
where  the  species  has  been  found  of  regular  occurrence  in  the 
state.  Mr.  E.  S.  Currier  considers  the  Golden- winged  War- 
bler a  common  transient  at  Keokuk  and  there  is  a  record  of  its 
occurrence  in  Shannon  Co.,  April  25,  1905,  by  Mr.  W.  G.  Savage. 
The  only  record  from  western  Missouri  is  by  Mr.  H.  Nehrling, 
who  met  with  it  in  Lawrence  Co.,  April  25,  1884.  Mrs.  Musick 
reported  the  species  as  a  summer  resident  at  Mt.  Carmel, 
Audrain  Co.,  in  1884,  and  it  is  very  likely  that  it  breeds  sparingly 
in  northeastern  Missouri.  Mr.  Currier  took  a  set  of  eggs  in  Lee 
Co.,  la.,  just  across  the  state  line,  and  Mr.  0.  C.  Poling  of  Quincy 
found  it  nesting  in  the  Mississippi  bottom.  In  eastern  Illinois 
it  was  once  found  breeding  in  the  latitude  of  St.  Louis,  38°  38', 
in  Richland  Co.  Singing  males  have  been  noted  at  St.  Louis 
as  early  as  April  26,  27  and  28,  but  the  bulk  passes  through 
during  the  first  half  of  May;  last  seen,  May  22.  At  Keokuk 
they  were  observed  once  as  early  as  April  22,  1894.  They  begin 
to  withdraw  from  the  breeding  grounds  early  in  August  and  pass 
through  Missouri  in  the  latter  part  of  August  and  early  in 
September,  but  do  not  stop  over  long  and  are  therefore  easily 
overlooked.  Latest  date  at  St.  Louis,  September  15,  1905; 
males  in  full  plumage. 


218  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

645.  HELMINTHOPHILA  RUBRICAPILLA  (Wils.).     Nashville  War- 
bler. 

Sylvia  ruficapilla.  Hehninthophaga  ruficapilla.  Helminthophila  rufica- 
pilla.  Sylvia  rubricapilla.  Vermivora  rubricapilla.  Helinaia  rubrica- 
pilla. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Cape  Breton, 
Prince  Edward  Island,  Quebec,  Ontario  and  Manitoba;  breeds 
from  southern  New  England,  northern  Michigan,  northern 
Illinois,  eastern  Nebraska,  northward.  Winters  in  eastern 
Mexico;  south  to  Guatemala. 

In  eastern  Missouri  one  of  our  most  regular  and  common 
transient  visitants,  spring  and  fall;  also  common  in  the  north- 
western part  of  the  state,  but  rare  in  southwest  Missouri.  The 
species  is  rare  in  Kansas,  but  common  in  the  Missouri  River 
region  of  eastern  Nebraska.  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen  found  it  common 
at  Fort  Leavenworth,  where  it  had  also  been  observed  by 
Audubon,  May  4,  1843.  It  is  reported  from  St.  Joseph,  where 
Mr.  S.  S.  Wilson  took  a  female  September  28,  1895,  and  from 
Independence,  October  5,  1889,  by  Mr.  Chas.  Tindall.  Scott 
gives  it  as  rare  May  7, 1874,  at  Warrensburg,  where  Mr.  Smithson 
found  a  young  bird  dead  in  the  street  in  the  middle  of  August, 
1906.  There  is  a  possibility  of  its  breeding  in  the  northwest 
corner  of  Missouri  as  it  has  been  found  breeding  along  the  eastern 
edge  of  Nebraska.  East  of  Missouri  its  nesting  in  the  latitude 
of  our  northern  border  is  reported  from  Fulton  Co.,  111.,  by  Mr. 
Philo  W.  Smith  Jr.  of  St.  Louis.  The  first  transients  appear 
in  eastern  Missouri  between  April  23  and  29,  exceptionally  ear- 
lier or  later  (April  20,  1885,  May  2,  1883).  They  are  most  abun- 
dant during  the  first  decade  of  May,  the  last  being  seen  between 
May  15  and  22.  On  their  return  in  the  fall  the  first  have  been 
seen  as  early  as  September  5,  1897,  but  usually  not  before 
September  14  or  15;  they  are  quite  common  from  September 
20  to  October  5,  and  the  last  do  not  leave  us  before  October 
12,  exceptionally  as  late  as  October  20,  1893. 

646.  HELMINTHOPHILA  CELATA  (Say).    Orange-crowned  Warbler. 

Sylvia  celata.     Vermivora  celata.     Helinaia  celata.     Helminthophaga  celata. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  the  Mackenzie 
and  Yukon  Rivers;  west  in  Canada  to  the  interior  of  British 
Columbia  and  southward  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  New 
Mexico;  breeding  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  from  Manitoba 


Wi.dmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  219 

northward;  migrating  over  Mississippi  Valley  and  Gulf  States 
to  South  Carolina,  Georgia  and  Florida ;  rare  east  of  Alleghanies 
north  of  Virginia.  Winters  in  southern  United  States,  but 
chiefly  in  northeastern  Mexico. 

In  western  Missouri  a  regular  and  common  transient  visitant. 
It  is  reported  so  by  Dr.  Allen,  who  met  with  it  in  May,  1871, 
at  Fort  Leavenworth;  by  W.  E.  D.  Scott  who  found  it  next 
to  H.  pinus,  the  most  common  of  the  genus,  April  27  to  May 
15,  1874,  at  Warrensburg.  Mr.  Chas.  W.  Tindall  reports  it  as 
common  at  Independence,  April  29,  1898,  and  April  30,  1899. 
Mr.  H.  Nehrling's  record  of  April  19,  1884,  is  the  earliest  date 
for  spring  arrival  in  Missouri.  The  occurrence  of  the  species 
in  eastern  Missouri  is  less  regular  both  in  time  and  numbers. 
Quite  common  in  some  seasons  as  early  as  April  20  and  22,  in 
others  it  is  not  seen  before  the  28  or  29.  May  10  is  the  latest 
at  St.  Louis;  in  most  years  not  seen  after  May  5.  Its  presence 
in  fall  extends  over  a  period  of  seven  weeks  from  September  9 
to  October  26,  but  it  is  never  numerous  at  any  time.  Neither 
Mr.  Currier  nor  Mr.  Praeger  met  with  the  species  at  Keokuk, 
but  Mr.  Chas.  K.  Worthen  mentions  it  in  his  list  of  the  birds 
of  Warsaw,  111. 

647.  HELMINTHOPHILA  PEREGRINA  (Wils.).    Tennessee  Warbler. 

Sylvia  peregrina.     Vermivora  peregrina.     Helinaia  peregrina.     Helmintho- 
phaga  peregrina.     Sylvicola  missouriensis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Hudson  Bay, 
Slave  Lake  and  Alaska;  breeds  from  northern  New  York, 
northern  New  England,  Quebec,  Ontario,  Manitoba,  eastern 
Colorado  northward  and  migrates  chiefly  through  Mississippi 
Valley  and  Atlantic  side  of  Mexico  and  Central  America  to 
northern  South  America. 

In  Missouri  by  far  the  commonest  species  of  its  genus  and  the 
most  regular  in  migration;  it  outnumbers  all  other  Helmin- 
thophilae  put  together  and  occurs  in  the  west  as  well  as  in  the 
east;  in  the  southeast  and  the  Ozarks  as  often  as  in  the  flood 
plains  and  the  prairie  region.  At  St.  Louis  it  makes  its  first 
appearance  between  April  25  and  28,  rarely  a  day  earlier  or 
later.  It  is  in  greatest  abundance  between  April  30  and  May 
11,  when  it  may  be  heard  or  seen  most  anywhere.  After  the 
middle  of  May  it  is  scarce  except  in  cold  Mays,  when  it  remains 
longer,  as  late  as  May  22  and  24,  once  even  to  May  29  and  in 


220  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

the  remarkable  late  spring  of  1907  to  June  3.  Its  fall  migration 
reaches  us  the  middle  of  September,  becomes  brisk  about  Octo- 
ber 1  and  continues  to  the  middle  of  the  month,  latest  date  being 
October  20. 

648. a.  COMPSOTHLYPIS  AMERICANA   USNEAE   Brewster.     North- 
ern Parula  Warbler. 

Sylvia  americana.     Sylvicola  americana.     Parula  americana.     Blue  Yellow- 
back. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  British  Provinces; 
breeding  from  the  interior  districts  of  Virginia  and  Maryland 
northward  to  Maine,  Anticosti,  New  Brunswick  and  northern 
Ontario. 

*648.b.     COMPSOTHLYPIS     AMERICANA     RAMALINAE     Ridgw. 
Western  Parula  Warbler. 

Geog.  Dist. — Mississippi  Valley,  north  to  southern  Michigan, 
across  Wisconsin  to  Minnesota;  west  to  eastern  Nebraska 
and  through  Kansas,  Indian  Territory  and  Texas.  These  sub- 
species have  lately  been  separated  from  the  typical  americana, 
which  breeds  locally  in  the  Gulf  States  from  Alabama  to  Florida 
and  along  the  Atlantic  slope  to  District  of  Columbia,  probably 
to  New  Jersey  and  New  York.  Since  the  differences  in  the 
winter  plumage  are  so  slight  that  nobody  can  tell  the  three 
subspecies  apart  with  certainty,  their  winter  home  can  only 
be  given  for  all  of  them  together.  They  have  a  wide  range 
throughout  the  West  Indies,  and  through  eastern  Mexico  to 
Nicaragua. 

Our  Missouri  bird,  which  was  until  1897  simply  americana 
and  then  segregated  as  usneae,  must  now  be  referred  to  the 
new  subspecies  ramalinae,  but  it  is  possible  that  the  northern 
subspecies  usneae  visits  the  state  in  transit  from  and  to  Mexico. 
Observers  should  be  on  the  look-out  for  it  during  migration 
time.  The  Parula  or  Blue  Yellow-back  is  one  of  the  first  war- 
blers to  appear  at  its  breeding  stations;  it  is  a  fairly  common 
and  generally  distributed  summer  resident  in  the  overflow  of 
the  peninsula  as  well  as  in  the  valleys  of  the  Ozarks  and  along 
the  water-courses  everywhere,  though  less  and  less  common 
as  we  go  northwestward  in  the  prairie  region.  It  reaches  Mis- 
souri in  the  southeast  in  the  last  week  of  March  (Poplar  Bluff, 
March  28,  1896).  Earliest  date  for  St.  Louis  is  April  10,  1887, 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  221 

and  April  11,  1896,  but  ordinarily  it  has  not  been  noticed  before 
April  13  to  17.  About  April  20  it  is  generally  pretty  numerous 
and  the  height  of  the  season  for  transients  is  the  first  week  of 
May.  During  its  southward  flight  in  September  the  species 
is  again  often  seen  and  sometimes  heard  to  sing,  especially  in 
the  second  and  third  week  of  the  month.  The  last  ones  are 
seen  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis,  September  24  to  26,  excep- 
tionally later,  October  2,  1906,  and  in  Dunklin  Co.,  October 
4.  Though  a  fairly  common  breeder  in  Missouri  it  is  still 
much  of  a  mystery  where  it  places  its  nest.  The  only 
one  found  by  the  writer  (June  8,  1885)  was  built  inside 
of  a  bunch  of  rubbish  which  during  a  freshet  in  the  Mera- 
mec  River  had  kept  sticking  to  a  long  hanging  twig  of  a 
birch.  This  nest  is  described  in  Auk,  vol.  2,  p.  377;  but 
such  a  place  can  only  be  an  exceptional  nesting-site,  and  it 
still  remains  to  be  shown  where  it  usually  builds  its  nest, 
as  we  have  no  hanging  lichens  used  for  this  purpose  in  other 
parts  of  the  country. 

(>50.  DENDROICA  TIGRINA  (Gmel.).    Cape  May  Warbler. 

Motacilla  tigrina.     Dendroeca  tigrina.     Perisoglossa  tigrina.     Sylvia  mari- 
tima.     Sylvicola  maritima. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  the  Maritime 
Provinces,  southern  shores  of  Hudson  Bay,  Manitoba  and  As- 
siniboia.  Breeds  from  northern  New  England,  northern  Minne- 
sota and  Michigan  northward  and  winters  in  the  West  Indies 
and  Yucatan. 

In  Missouri  a  rather  rare  transient  visitant  in  the  vicinity  of 
St.  Louis,  where  its  presence  in  small  numbers  can  be  expected 
early  in  May,  oftenest  May  2  or  3,  latest  May  10,  1887,  and 
May  12,  1885  (May  16  and  17  to  May  28,  1907)  either  among 
other  warblers  or  in  little  troops  by  itself.  In  fall  migration 
dates  of  occurrence  are  more  scattered,  beginning  with  August 
24,  1887,  and  ending  September  26,  1897.  The  only  record  for 
the  state  outside  of  St.  Louis  Co.  is  from  Pierce  City,  Lawrence 
Co.,  where  Mr.  H.  Nehrling  found  the  species  April  27,  1884. 
Since  the  above  was  written  another  record  has  been  added 
through  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff's  excellent  work  in  Shannon  Co., 
where  he  took  examples  of  this  species,  May  10  and  15, 
1907. 


222  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis.. 

*652.  DENDROICA  AESTIVA  (Gmel.).    Yellow  Warbler. 

Mbtacilla  aestiva.  Sylvia  aestiva.  Sylvicola  aesitva.  Sylvia  citrinella. 
Sylvia  childrenii.  Sylvia  rathbonia.  Sylvia  trochilus.  Wild  Canary, 
Yellowbird.  Blue-eyed  Warbler. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America  in  general  (except  Alaska  and 
northern  Pacific  coast  where  subspecies,  rubiginosa,  and  south- 
western United  States  where  subspecies,  sonorana).  Breeds 
nearly  throughout  its  range  except  Florida  and  southern  Georgia. 
Winters  in  Central  and  South  America  going  as  far  south  as 
7°  S.  in  western  Peru. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  summer  resident  in  all  settled 
districts,  but  not  in  the  forest  or  far  away  from  water;  other- 
wise of  general  distribution  in  all  regions.  The  third  week  of 
April  is  the  time  for  the  arrival  of  the  first  Yellow  Warblers 
in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis;  in  more  southern  parts  a  few  days 
earlier  (April  13,  1893,  at  Hornersville),  in  the  northern  from 
five  to  ten  days  later,  but  on  the  whole  there  is  a  great  regularity 
in  their  appearance.  As  with  most  other  birds  the  first  comers 
are  old  males  in  full  song,  followed  a  few  days  later  by  their 
mates.  Numerous  transients  are  present  during  the  last  days 
of  April  and  the  first  half  of  May  when  the  species  is  one  of  the 
most  conspicuous  songsters  about  our  country  homes.  Its 
song  is  heard  until  the  middle  of  July,  when  the  species  disap- 
pears from  the  breeding  ground,  apparently  retiring  southward, 
but  at  the  border  of  lakes  and  rivers  we  sometimes  meet  a  few 
transients  during  August,  very  rarely  in  September.  Latest 
record,  September  17,  1885,  Mt.  Carmel,  Mrs.  Musick. 

654.  DENDROICA  CAERULESCENS  (Gmel.).    Black-throated  Blue 
Warbler. 

Sylvia  canadensis.  Sylvicola  canadensis.  Dendroeca  canadensis.  Sylvia 
caerulescens.  Sylvia  pusilla.  Sylvia  leucoptera.  Vireo  sphagnosa. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  breeding  from  north- 
eastern Connecticut,  mountains  of  Pennsylvania,  northern  On- 
tario, southern  Michigan,  and  Minnesota  northward  to  New- 
foundland, Labrador  and  shores  of  Hudson  Bay.  During  mi- 
gration westward  to  base  of  Rocky  Mountains  in  Colorado 
and  New  Mexico.  Winters  in  the  West  Indies  and  northern 
South  America. 

In  Missouri  a  rare  transient  visitant,  less  so  in  the  east  than  in 
the  west,  where  records  are  very  few.  Dr.  Hoy  mentions  it  in 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.   223 

his  list  of  birds  of  western  Missouri  and  Mr.  H.  Nehrling  found  it 
at  Pierce  City,  May  2, 1884.  There  is  a  single  record  from  Iberia, 
Miller  Co.,  but  no  other  observer  in  Missouri  reported  it  to  the 
Department  of  Agriculture,  and  neither  Mr.  Currier  nor  Mr. 
Praeger  met  with  it  near  Keokuk,  nor  has  it  ever  been  observed 
in  the  southeast.  The  only  location  where  it  has  been  found 
oftener  is  the  immediate  vicinity  of  St.  Louis,  and  there,  too,  its 
occurrence  is  irregular.  The  earliest  date  for  the  state  is 
April  27,  1904,  Iberia,  and  for  St.  Louis,  April  30,  1885;  the 
last  in  spring,  May  9,  1887.  The  earliest  in  fall,  September  1, 
1887,  an  adult  male,  and  the  last,  September  24,  1879,  also  an 
adult  male. 

655.  DENDROICA  CORONATA  (Linn.).    Myrtle  Warbler. 

Sylvia  coronata.  Sylvicola  coronata.       Yellow-rumped  Warbler.      Yellow- 
rump. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  limit  of  tree- 
growth  from  Newfoundland  and  southern  Labrador  to  western 
Alaska.  Breeds  from  western  Massachusetts  and  northern  New 
York,  northern  peninsula  of  Michigan,  Manitoba,  Saskatchewan 
and  Alberta  northward.  Winters  from  southern  New  England, 
Ohio  and  lower  Missouri  Valleys  southward  to  West  Indies 
and  through  Mexico  and  Central  America  to  Panama. 

In  Missouri  a  very  common  transient  visitant  in  all  parts 
of  the  state,  and  a  fairly  common  winter  visitant  in  the  heavily 
wooded  southeast,  less  regularly  northward  to  the  Missouri 
River.  Their  presence  in  winter  depends  largely  on  the  abun- 
dance of  drupes  of  Poison  Ivy,  of  which  they  are  very  fond 
and  in  search  of  which  they  roam  about.  If  there  is  enough  of 
this  berry-like  fruit,  Yellow-rumps  may  be  found  in  considerable 
numbers  in  St.  Louis  Co.  throughout  December,  but  their  ranks 
are  always  thinned  very  much  in  January  when  our  coldest 
weather  comes,  though  a  few  sometimes  brave  the  rigor  of  our 
hard  winters  successfully.  They  also  like  to  eat  the  berries  of 
the  Red  Cedar,  and  Dr.  Eimbeck  tells  me  that  the  Cedars  in  his 
place  at  New  Haven,  Franklin  Co.,  are  a  great  attraction  for 
wintering  Yellow-rumps.  Being  the  hardiest  of  all  Warblers 
and  the  earliest  to  push  northward,  small  numbers  appear  in 
places  where  they  have  not  wintered,  even  north  of  the  Missouri 
River,  as  early  as  the  second  or  third  week  in  March,  but  real 
migration  does  not  set  in  before  the  first  of  April  and  in  back- 
ward springs  as  late  as  the  9th  and  12th  of  that  month.  At 


224:  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

our  northern  border  where  the  first  arrive  about  the  12th  or 
14th  of  April  the  species  has  in  some  years  not  been  noted  before 
the  25th  (1897,  1901,  at  Keokuk).  The  bulk,  the  great  army, 
spreads  over  most  of  the  state  during  the  second  and  third  week 
of  April  and  remains  to  the  end  of  the  fourth  week.  The  dura- 
tion of  their  stay  with  us  varies  greatly;  in  some  years  they 
pass  through  rapidly,  in  others  they  remain  conspicuously 
abundant  for  a  longer  time.  In  1878  the  last  Yellow-rump 
was  noted  at  St.  Louis,  April  29;  in  1886,  May  18;  in  1907,  May 
21;  but  usually  between  May  6  and  12.  The  wave  of  south- 
bound Yellow-rumps  reaches  the  northern  border  of  Missouri 
in  the  latter  part  of  September,  the  earliest  at  Keokuk  being 
September  11,  1894,  and  September  12,  1899,  the  bulk  about 
October  1.  St.  Louis  is  seldom  reached  before  October  first, 
and  then  only  by  small  numbers.  Earliest  at  St.  Louis,  Sep- 
tember 17,  1897,  and  September  23,  1896.  The  first  cross  the 
southern  border  line  about  October  10.  The  bulk  is  somewhat 
irregular  in  its  transit  through  the  state,  some  years,  following 
the  first  within  a  few  days,  early  in  October,  in  others  not  before 
the  second  and  third  week  of  the  month.  In  northern  Missouri 
migration  is  over  from  the  middle  to  the  last  of  October  (October 
14',  1896;  October  26,  1897);  in  central  Missouri  it  continues 
to  the  first,  sometimes  the  second  week  in  November  (Mt.  Carmel, 
November  3,  1884;  November  11,  1885).  In  the  neighborhood 
of  St.  Louis  where  they  may  be  regarded  as  irregular  winter 
visitants,  all  are  gone  in  some  years  before  the  middle  of  No- 
vember (November  7,  1882;  November  11,  1885).  The  ex- 
ceptional occurrence  of  a  singing  male  Yellow-rump  in  summer 
(June  21,  1897)  in  St.  Louis  Co.  is  reported  by  the  writer  in 
"The  Osprey,"  vol.  2,  No.  3,  page  40. 

657.  DENDROICA  MACULOSA  (Gmel.).    Magnolia  Warbler. 

Motacilla  maculosa.     Sylvia  maculosa.      Sylvicola  maculosa.      Sylvia  mag- 
nolia.    Black  and  Yellow  Warbler. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Newfoundland, 
Anticosti,  Magdalen  Islands,  southern  shores  of  Hudson  Bay 
Great  Slave  Lake  and  Mackenzie  River ;  west  to  British  Columbia 
and  eastern  base  of  Rocky  Mountains.  Breeds  from  Massa- 
chusetts, mountains  of  Pennsylvania,  northern  part  of  lower 
Michigan,  northern  Minnesota  and  northern  Manitoba  and 
Assiniboia  northward.  Winters  from  eastern  Mexico  to  Panama. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  225 

In  Missouri  one  of  the  most  common  and  the  most  regular 
of  transient  Warblers  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  state,  but  be- 
coming scarcer  and  scarcer  as  we  go  westward.  Dr.  Hoy 
mentions  it  in  his  list  of  birds  of  western  Missouri.  W.  E.  D. 
Scott  met  with  it  once,  May  18,  1874,  at  Warrensburg,  and  Mr. 
H.  Nehrling,  May  2,  1884,  at  Pierce  City.  These  are  all  the 
records  we  have  from  western  Missouri.  Its  appearance  at 
St.  Louis  may  be  looked  for  with  confidence  between  May  3  and 
May  5,  very  seldom  earlier  (May  1,  1904)  and  delays  of  a  few 
days  are  equally  rare.  The  bulk  is  present  during  the  second 
week  of  May.  After  the  16th  the  species  becomes  scarce  and 
disappears  entirely  if  the  weather  is  hot.  In  cool  Mays  it  has 
been  known  to  linger  a  week  (May  22,  1885)  and  even  two  weeks 
longer  (May  29,  June  3,  1907).  It  is  one  of  the  most  abundant 
migrants  in  the  southeast,  where  it  remains  as  late  as  in  the  cen- 
tral and  northern  parts.  On  its  return  in  fall  the  first  reaches 
St.  Louis  early  in  September  (September  5,  1887,  September 
5,  1897),  but  the  bulk  is  present  between  September  17  and  27, 
and  the  last  leave  us  soon  afterward,  deserting  even  the  heavily 
wooded  southeast  by  October  10  (Last  for  St.  Louis,  October 
5,  1906). 

*658.  DENDROICA  CERULEA  Wilson.    Cerulean  Warbler. 

Sylvia  cerulea.   Sylvicola  coerulea  or  caerulea.   Dendroeca  caerulea  or  coerulea. 
Sylvia  rara.     Dendroica  rara.     Sylvia  azurea.     Blue  Warbler. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  southern  Ontario; 
rare  east  of  Allgehanies.  Breeds  from  the  mountains  of  Virginia 
and  Tennessee,  northern  Alabama  and  Louisiana  north  to 
southern  Michigan  and  Minnesota,  west  to  eastern  Nebraska, 
Kansas  and  the  Indian  Territory.  Winters  from  Panama  to  Peru. 

In  Missouri  a  common  summer  resident  in  high  trees  of  bottom 
land  along  water-courses  in  all  parts  of  the  state,  but  disappear- 
ing with  the  trees,  not  accepting  the  conditions  imposed  by 
civilization.  It  may  be  found  in  orchards  and  like  places  during 
migration,  but  for  its  nests  it  wants  high  trees  near  water,  build- 
ing far  out  on  horizontal  or  drooping  branches,  much  to  the 
disgust  of  the  egg  collector.  The  species  is  especially  numerous 
in  the  southeast,  where  it  arrives  as  early  as  April  10,  1893. 
The  magnificent  forests  in  the  flood  plains  of  the  Mississippi 
and  Missouri  Rivers  afford  homes  for  a  large  number  of  these 
diligent  songsters.  Audubon  met  with  them  at  the  mouth  of 
Grand  River,  April  30,  1843,  and  again  at  Leavenworth,  May  4, 


226  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

1843.  At  the  latter  place  the  species  was  found  common  by 
Dr.  J.  A.  Allen  in  May  1871,  and  Dr.  Hoy  includes  it  in  his  list 
of  western  Missouri  birds.  At  St.  Louis  it  is  seldom  found 
before  the  middle  of  April  (April  12,  1887),  but  generally  in  the 
third  week,  i.  e.,  between  the  15th  and  the  22nd.  The  bulk, 
including  the  females,  has  come  before  the  end  of  the  month. 
After  the  breeding  season  is  over  Blue  Warblers  become  scarce, 
apparently  leaving  their  breeding  grounds,  but  in  Dunklin  Co. 
individuals  have  been  found  through  September  (September 
28,  1897),  and  an  exceptionally  late  date  is  reported  from 
New  Haven,  September  25,  1903,  by  Dr.  Eimbeck. 

*659.  DENDROICA  PENSYLVANICA  (Linn.).    Chestnut-sided  War- 
bler. 

Sylvia  pensylvanica.    Sylvia  icterocephala.    Sylvicola  icterocephala.    Yellow- 
crowned  Warbler. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  southern  Canada, 
north  to  Nova  Scotia,  northern  Ontario  and  Manitoba;  west  to 
eastern  Nebraska  and  eastern  Kansas.  Breeds  from  the  Alle- 
ghany  Mountains  in  South  Carolina,  from  New  Jersey,  Pennsyl- 
vania, Ohio,  central  Illinois,  southern  Missouri  and  eastern 
Kansas  northward  and  winters  from  Guatemala  to  Panama. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant,  less  common 
westward,  where  it  was  taken  by  Audubon,  May  4,  1843,  and  by 
Dr.  J.  A.  Allen,  May  1871,  near  Fort  Leavenworth.  Dr.  Hoy 
has  it  in  his  list,  also  Mr.  Chas.  W.  Tindall  of  Independence. 
Mr.  S.  S.  Wilson  gives  it  as  rare  at  St.  Joseph,  where  he  took  a 
male,  August  28, 1894.  W.  E.  D.  Scott  has  it  as  rare  at  Warrens- 
burg,  where  he  first  noted  it  May  7,  1874.  Though  usually 
fairly  common  in  eastern  Missouri  it  is  somewhat  irregular  in 
arriving;  in  some  years  the  first  are  seen  in  the  last  week  of 
April  (earliest  April  23,  1885,  and  April  25,  1886,  at  Mt.Carmel; 
April  26,  27  and  29,  St.  Louis);  in  other  years  not  before  the 
second  week  in  May  (May  11,  1886),  but  most  of  the  dates  col- 
lected at  St.  Louis  as  well  as  in  the  state  generally  are  in  the  first 
week  of  May.  In  favorable  weather  transients  pass  rapidly 
through  and  disappear  soon  after  the  middle  of  May,  but  in  cool 
weather  they  have  lingered  through  the  third  into  the  fourth 
week  (May  23,  1882;  May  24,  1883;  June  3,  1907).  In  fall 
the  species  is  one  of  the  first  migrants  to  return  from  farther 
north,  having  been  met  with  as  early  as  August  24,  1896,  and 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  227 

August  28,  1901,  but  the  early  part  of  September  is  the  regular 
time  for  its  reappearance,  the  bulk  passing  through  between 
the  15th  and  26th.  None  have  been  observed  after  the  first 
of  October.  Beside  being  a  transient  the  Chestnut-sided  War- 
bler has  repeatedly  been  found  breeding  in  eastern  Missouri 
in  places  grown  with  hazel,  blackberry  and  scrub-oak.  Nests  with 
eggs  have  been  found  by  the  writer  and  by  Mr.  Philo  W.  Smith, 
Jr.,  in  the  outskirts  of  St.  Louis  City  and  in  St.  Louis  Co.  Mr. 
B.  T.  Gault  saw  a  pair  June  19,  1892,  near  Munger  in  Iron  Co. 
undoubtedly  on  their  breeding  grounds.  Mrs.  M.  Musick 
reported  the  species  as  a  common  summer  resident  at  Mt.  Carmel 
in  Audrain  Co.,  and  Mr.  E.  S.  Currier  found  it  breeding  near 
Keokuk. 

660.  DENDROICA  CASTANEA  (Wils.).    Bay-breasted  Warbler*       ) 

Sylvia  castanea.     Sylvicola  castanea.     Sylvia  autumnalis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Newfoundlandr 
Hudson  Bay  and  Manitoba.  Breeds  from  northern  New  Eng- 
land, New  York,  southern  Ontario,  northern  Michigan  north- 
ward. Winters  in  Panama  and  Colombia. 

In  eastern  Missouri  a  not  common  but  regular  transient 
visitant  in  spring  and  fall,  chiefly  in  the  flood  plain  and  the 
bluff  region  of  the  Mississippi  River,  but  also  in  the  southeast 
and  in  the  Ozarks  as  far  west  as  Shannon  Co.  (Monteer,  May  3, 
1904,  Savage)  and  Carter  Co.  (Grandin,  May  16,  and  17,  1907, 
Woodruff).  The  only  record  from  western  Missouri  is  that  of 
Dr.  P.  R.  Hoy  in  May  1854.  Its  presence  in  spring  occurs  be- 
tween May  3  and  23,  chiefly  between  May  5  and  15  in  the  region 
of  St.  Louis  (May  16  to  June  2,  1907).  Being  mostly  silent  and 
keeping  in  the  densely-leafed  trees  it  is  easily  overlooked,  a  fact 
which,  together  with  its  rapid  passage,  makes  the  species  appear 
rarer  than  it  really  is.  In  fall  its  occurrence  has  been  noted 
from  September  4  to  October  5  (1905  and  1906).  Even  its 
song  has  been  heard  as  late  as  September  26,  1897.  They  are 
generally  in  company  with  other  warblers,  but  sometimes  in 
family  groups  by  themselves,  the  adults  in  full  spring  dress. 

661.  DENDROICA  STRIATA  (Forst.).    Black-poll  Warbler. 

Sylvia  striata.     Sylvicola  striata. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  and  northern  North  America,  north  to 
Newfoundland,  to  the  limit  of  tree  growth  in  Labrador,  the 


228  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Hudson  Bay  region  and  northwest  to  Alaska.  Breeds  from 
northern  New  England  and  New  York,  northern  Michigan  and 
Manitoba  northward,  also  near  Manitou,  Colo.,  and  in  Montana 
and  probably  Wyoming.  Winters  in  northern  South  America, 
east  to  French  Guiana  and  Para,  west  to  Ecuador;  south  as 
far  as  Rio  Negro  in  Brazil.  Migrates  by  way  of  Bahamas  and 
West  Indies;  no  record  from  Mexico  and  Central  America. 

In  Missouri  one  of  the  most  regular  and  most  numerous  tran- 
sient warblers  in  spring,  less  common  in  fall,  when  easily  over- 
looked, because  silent,  plainly  garbed  and  slow  in  its  movements. 
St.  Louis  can  expect  to  greet  the  first  Black-poll  April  29,  and 
judging  from  reports  from  Kansas  City  (April  28,  1904)  and  from 
Independence  (April  27,  1900),  the  army  of  north-going  Black- 
polls  begins  to  invade  the  southern  part  of  the  state  generally 
the  last  days  of  April.  They  become  more  numerous  after  the 
first  of  May  and  the  bulk  is  present  during  the  second,  in  northern 
Missouri,  during  the  third  week  in  May.  They  are  much  oftener 
heard  than  seen,  uttering  a  peculiarly  grating  song,  while  creep- 
ing along  branches  in  the  highest  trees.  Their  song  is  heard 
during  the  first  half  of  May  almost  everywhere,  wherever  there 
are  trees.  By  the  middle  of  May  the  singing  males  have  usually 
passed  on  and  silent  females  only  are  met  with.  In  cool  weather 
the  departure  is  delayed  and  Black-polls  have  been  noted  at 
St.  Louis  as  late  as  May  29,  1882,  and  at  Keokuk,  June  2,  1901, 
but  they  are  always  rare  after  May  20,  except  in  the  cold  spring 
of  1907,  when  unusually  abundant  at  St.  Louis  from  May  10  to 
June  6.  In  fall  their  passage  through  Missouri  takes  place  in 
September,  chiefly  the  latter  part,  and  during  the  first  week  of 
October,  when  on  some  days  they  occur  in  regular  flocks. 

662.  DENDROICA  BLACKBURNIAE  (Gmel.).     Blackburnian  War- 
bler. 

Sylvia  blackburniae.   Sylvicola  blackburniae.    Sylvia  pants.    Sylvicola  parus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Maine,  Nova 
Scotia,  southern  shores  of  Hudson  Bay,  northern  Ontario,  Mani- 
toba, west  to  edge  of  Great  Plains.  Breeds  from  southern 
Alleghanies,  Connecticut,  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Michigan, 
Wisconsin  and  northern  Minnesota  northward.  Winters  chiefly 
in  South  America  from  Colombia  to  Peru. 

In  Missouri  generally  a  rather  rare  transient  visitant,  but 
found  in  all  parts  of  the  state,  though  more  frequently  eastward. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  229 

It  is  reported  from  western  Missouri  by  Dr.  Hoy  in  1854  and  by 
Dr.  J.  A.  Allen,  who  found  it  at  Leavenworth,  May  4,  1871; 
Mr.  H.  Nehrling  observed  it  at  Pierce  City  in  1884  and  1885  and 
there  is  a  record  from  Kansas  City.  The  first  reach  the  southern 
part  of  Missouri  in  the  last  week  of  April  (April  28,  1905,  Mon- 
teer,  Shannon  Co.);  southwestern  and  central  Missouri,  early 
in  May  (May  2, 1884,  Pierce  City :  May  4,  St.  Louis).  The  second 
week  of  May  is  the  time  when  it  is  most  numerous  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  St.  Louis,  where  the  last  is  seen  about  May  17,  but 
there  is  one  exceptionally  late  record  of  its  presence  in  the  state 
from  Kansas  City,  May  30,  1904.  In  fall  migration  it  is,  like 
others  of  its  tribe,  oftenest  found  in  the  river  bottoms  and  does 
not  seem  to  be  in  such  haste  as  in  spring,  the  same  individuals 
being  observed  at  the  same  place  several  days  in  succession. 
The  first  appear  as  early  as  September  1  (1897)  and  the  last  was 
noted  as  late  as  October  2,  1896,  and  October  5,  1905,  but  they 
are  to  be  found  most  certainly  between  September  8th  and 
26th.  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff  found  one  in  Shannon  Co.,  May  13, 
and  several  in  Carter  Co.,  May  16  and  17,  1907.  Migration 
of  Warblers  being  abnormally  late  in  conformity  with  the  extra- 
ordinary lateness  of  spring  in  1907,  the  first  Blackburnian 
was  seen  at  St.  Louis,  May  14  and  the  last,  May  22. 

*663a.  DENDROICA  DOMINICA  ALBILORA  Ridg.    Sycamore  Warbler. 

Sylvia  pensilis.     Sylvicola  pensilis.     Dendroica  supercttiosa.     D.  dominica. 

Geog.  Dist. — Mississippi  Valley,  north  to  northeastern  Nebras- 
ka, southern  Wisconsin,  southern  Michigan,  Ohio,  West  Vir- 
ginia; southward  to  Louisiana  and  eastern  Texas.  Breeding 
throughout  this  range,  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Alleghanies, 
comprising  an  area  about  800  miles  long  by  600  miles  wide, 
having  its  centre  of  distribution  in  the  lower  Ohio  Valley.  In 
winter  to  southern  Mexico  and  Central  America. 

Nowhere  really  common,  the  Sycamore  Warbler  is  fairly  well 
distributed  through  a  large  portion  of  southern  Missouri  from 
St.  Charles  and  Montgomery  Counties  southwestward  to  Newton 
and  McDonald  Counties  in  the  southwest  corner  of  the  state. 
It  inhabits  the  high  trees  of  river  banks  from  the  Mississippi 
River  westward  throughout  the  Ozark  and  Ozark  border  region; 
is  most  common  in  the  cypress  swamps  of  the  southeast,  but 
apparently  absent  from  the  prairie  region.  On  the  southern 
slope  of  the  Ozarks  it  has  been  found  inhabiting  the  pines  on 


230  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

the  hilltops  as  well  as  the  sycamores  in  the  bottoms.  In  the 
southeast  its  nests  are  built  in  cypress  trees  (Taxodium).  Near 
the  southern  boundary  its  arrival  has  been  noted  as  early  as 
March  21,  1894,  when  males  were  already  in  full  song  near  Hor- 
nersville.  In  Shannon  Co.,  Mr.  Woodruff  heard  it  for  the  first 
time  March  28,  1907.  In  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis  the  appear- 
ance of  the  first  singing  males  varies  according  to  the  weather 
from  April  4  to  J3,  but  by  the  25th  they  are  always  in  full 
numbers  and  conspicuous  songsters.  About  the  first  of  September 
they  begin  to  wander  about  and  old  and  young  are  met  with  in 
places  not  usually  visited.  Dates  of  " lasts"  vary  greatly  from 
September  2,  1887,  to  October  11,  1885,  the  latest  for  St.  Louis. 

667.  DENDROICA  VIRENS  (Gmel.).    Black-throated  Green  War- 
bler. 

Sylvia  virens.     Sylvicola  virens. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Newfoundland, 
islands  of  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  southern  shores  of  Hudson  Bay, 
southwestern  Athabasca  and  northern  Alberta;  west  to  the 
Plains.  Breeds  from  the  higher  mountains  in  South  Carolina, 
southern  New  England,  northern  New  York,  Michigan,  Wis- 
consin, Minnesota  northward.  Winters  from  Mexico  to  Panama. 

In  Missouri  one  of  our  commonest  and  most  generally  distrib- 
uted transient  visitants  in  spring  and  fall,  less  common  in  the 
north-western  portion  of  the  state  and  the  prairie  region  gener- 
ally. Dr.  Hoy  listed  it  among  his  birds  of  western  Missouri 
and  W.  E.  D.  Scott  found  it  May  7,  1874,  at  Warrensburg. 
Mr.  H.  Nehrling  reports  it  from  Pierce  City,  May  2,  1884,  and 
Mr.  W.  Savage  from  Jasper,  May  1,  1903.  In  the  southeastern 
corner  of  Missouri  the  writer  found  it  as  early  as  April  16,  1898, 
but  at  St.  Louis  the  firsts  are  noted  between  April  26  and  May 
1.  In  Shannon  Co.  where  Mr.  Savage  found  it  to  be  tolerably 
common,  the  first  was  seen  at  Monteer,  April  24,  1904;  at  Keo- 
kuk,  April  30,  1895,  is  the  earliest  date  reported  by  Mr.  Currier. 
At  St.  Louis  the  bulk  is  present  from  between  May  5  to  13  and 
the  last  has  left  before  May  20  (May  22,  1907).  The  last  at 
Monteer  is  May  10,  1904,  in  Carter  Co.,  May  17,  1907,  and  at 
Keokuk,  May  24,  1895.  W.  E.  D.  Scott  found  it  as  late  as  the 
middle  of  June,  1874,  suggesting  the  possibility  of  breeding. 
Fall  migration  begins  in  the  latter  part  of  August  and  lasts 
through  September  to  the  second  week  of  October  at  St.  Louis 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  231 

and  the  end  of  the  third  week  in  the  southeast;   the  majority 
pass  through  between  September  8  and  October  6. 


670.  DENDROICA  KIRTLANDI  Baird.     Kirtland's  Warbler. 

Sylvicola  kirtlandi. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  Ontario  from  Florida 
north  to  Michigan  and  Minnesota;  west  to  Missouri.  Breeds 
in  Michigan.  Winters  in  Bahamas. 

A  male  taken  by  the  writer  May  8,  1885,  near  the  city  limits 
of  St.  Louis  is  the  only  record  of  the  occurrence  of  this  rare  bird 
in  Missouri.  It  is  now  in  the  collection  of  mounted  birds  in 
Washington  University  of  St.  Louis.  Its  capture  is  reported 
in  "The  Auk,"  vol.  2,  page  382. 

*671.  DENDROICA  VIGORSII  (Aud.).    Pine  Warbler. 

Dendroica  pinus.     Sylvia  pinus.     Sylvia  vigorsii.     Sylvicola  pinus.     Pine- 
creeping  Warbler. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Nova  Scotia, 
New  Brunswick,  Ontario,  Manitoba  and  Saskatchewan.  Breeds 
in  pine  woods,  both  north  and  south,  and  is  found  in  hard  wood 
forests  only  in  migration.  Winters  in  the  South  Atlantic  and 
Gulf  States. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  state,  but  apparently  unknown  in  western  Missouri 
north  of  the  Ozarks.  In  the  pine  region  the  species  is  a  rare 
summer  resident.  On  its  breeding  grounds  it  had  already 
arrived  when  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff  reached  Grandin,  March  8, 
1907,  and  Ink,  Shannon  Co.,  March  10,  1907.  April  25  he  se- 
cured a  young  unable  to  fly,  but  fed  by  its  parents  on  the  ground. 
North-bound  transients  pass  through  from  the  middle  to  the  end 
of  April.  Earliest  at  St.  Louis,  April  11,  1896;  latest  at  St. 
Louis  and  Keokuk,  May  3,  1903.  Though  never  very  common 
it  is  most  numerous  from  April  21  to  23,  when  its  peculiarly 
whirring  song  is  often  heard.  This  same  song  is  also  given  in 
fall,  when  it  spends  two  to  three  months  in  transit  through 
the  state.  At  St.  Louis  a  singing  male  has  been  met  with  as 
early  as  August  20,  1905;  others  August  26,  1896,  and  August 
29,  1897.  The  species  remains  through  September  into  October, 
even  to  the  latter  part  of  the  month  (October  24,  1879),  but  is 
oftenest  noted  from  about  October  3  to  5. 


232  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

672.  DENDROICA  PALM  ARUM  (Gmel.).    Palm  Warbler. 

Sylvia  palmarum.    Sylvicolapalmarum.   Sylvicolapetechia.    Yellow  Redpoll. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  rare  in  Atlantic  States 
where  replaced  by  the  subspecies,  hypochrysea,  the  Yellow  Palm 
Warbler.  Breeds  north  of  Manitoba  and  west  of  Hudson  Bay 
to  Great  Slave  Lake.  Winters  in  southern  Florida,  Bahamas 
and  the  West  Indies.  Migrates  southeast-northwest,  chiefly 
through  the  Mississippi  Valley,  from  Alleghanies  to  eastern 
Nebraska,  rarely  to  Kansas. 

In  Missouri  a  common  transient  visitant  eastward,  less  com- 
mon westward,  where  reported  by  Dr.  Hoy,  Mr.  Tindall  of  Inde- 
pendence and  Mr.  Savage  of  Jasper  (May  15-18,  1902).  It 
is  one  of  the  earlier  of  north-bound  warblers  and  in  exception- 
ally early  springs  has  found  its  way  to  St.  Louis  as  early  as  April 
5,  1882.  Ordinarily  it  reaches  the  same  locality  between  April 
13  and  18;  the  bulk  is  present  during  the  latter  part  of  April 
and  the  last  disappear  between  May  5  and  15.  It  reappears 
at  St.  Louis  about  the  first  of  October,  remaining  nearly  through- 
out the  month  (October  26,  1885).  At  Keokuk  Mr.  Currier 
found  it  as  early  as  September  11,  1893;  Mr.  Savage  at  Mon- 
teer,  Shannon  Co.,  not  before  October  17,  1903. 

*673.  DENDROICA  DISCOLOR  (Vieill.).    Prairie  Warbler. 

Sylvia  discolor.     Sylvicola  discolor.     Sylvia  minuta. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States,  north  to  Massachusetts, 
southern  Ontario,  southern  Michigan,  southern  Wisconsin; 
west  to  eastern  Nebraska,  eastern  Kansas.  Breeds  from  north- 
ern Bahamas  and  Florida  and  the  Gulf  States  generally 
northward.  Winters  from  central  Florida  and  Bahamas  nearly 
throughout  the  West  Indies  to  near  the  coast  of  Yucatan. 

In  Missouri  a  common  summer  resident  throughout  the  Ozarks 
and  Ozark  border  region  from  St.  Louis  Co.  west  and  southward 
to  the  southwest  corner  of  the  state  (Neosho  in  Newton  Co.  and 
Noel  in  McDonald  Co.).  In  spite  of  its  name  it  is  not  known 
to  occur  in  the  prairie  region  nor  does  it  breed  in  the  swampy 
southeastern  portion  of  the  state.  A  more  appropriate  name 
would  be  the  Hillside  Warbler.  Its  home  is  not  in  the  forest, 
not  among  high  trees,  but  in  those  stretches  of  scrub-oak  which 
are  found  wherever  the  ax  or  fire  have  removed  the  original 
forest-trees.  It  is  a  neighbor  of  the  Cardinal,  Yellow-breasted 
Chat,  Indigo-bird  and  Field  Sparrow.  It  arrives  on  its  breeding 
grounds  about  the  middle  of  April  and  becomes  generally  dis- 
tributed during  the  fourth  week  of  the  month.  It  remains  with 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  233 

us  until  the  latter  part  of  September.    Latest  record  at  St. 
Louis,  September  23, 1890. 

*674.  SEIURUS  AUROCAPILLUS  (Linn.).    Oven-bird. 

Turdus  aurocapitta.  Siurus  aurocapUlus.  Golden-crowned  Thrush.   Teacher. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Newfound- 
land, Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  Hudson  Bay,  Alaska;  west  to  Colo- 
rado, Montana  and  British  Columbia.  Breeds  from  Virginia, 
southern  Missouri  and  Kansas  northward.  Winters  from  the 
Gulf  coast  and  the  Bahamas  through  the  West  Indies  and 
Mexico  to  Central  America. 

In  Missouri  a  common  summer  resident,  more  abundant  during 
migration.  It  is  found  oftener  in  the  rich  woods  of  the  Ozark 
border  and  the  bluff  region  along  rivers  than  on  the  dry  hills  of 
the  Ozarks  and  is  rare  in  the  southeast.  Like  the  Towhee, 
Blue-winged  and  Worm-eating  Warblers,  Black  and  White 
Creeper,  and  other  ground  builders,  the  Oven-bird  has  entirely 
disappeared  from  wood-patches  used  for  pasturing  hogs,  and  is 
therefore  rare  in  large  districts  where  it  was  common  formerly. 
Its  arrival  in  spring  takes  place  about  April  10  in  southern 
Missouri,  about  April  14  in  east-central,  and  a  week  later  in 
western  Missouri.  April  12,  1887;  12,  1904;  13,  1888,  are  the 
first  dates  for  St.  Louis,  where  during  the  last  week  of  April 
the  woods  are  fairly  ringing  with  its  song.  At  this  period  the 
number  of  Oven-birds  is  increased  by  hosts  of  north-going  indi- 
viduals, and  during  the  last  few  days  of  April  or  first  of  May, 
the  first  have  reached  our  northern  border  (Keokuk,  April  27 
to  May  2;  Fort  Leavenworth,  May  4,  1843,  Audubon).  The 
return  of  transients  is  noticeable  in  September,  making  the  species 
conspicuous  for  a  considerable  time,  but  particularly  from  the 
14  to  the  24,  when  it  becomes  scarcer  and  disappears  entirely 
during  the  first  week  of  October.  After  being  silent  for  about 
six  weeks  its  song  is  again  heard  in  the  last  week  of  August 
and  first  of  September  when  it  ceases. 

675.  SEIURUS  NOVEBORACENSIS  (Gmel.).    Water  Thrush. 

67 f>a.  SEIURUS  NOVEBORACENSIS  NOTABILIS   (Ridgw.).     Grin- 
nell's  Water  Thrush. 

Siurus  naevius.    Seiurus  naevius.     Turdus  noveboracensis.     Turdus  aquati- 
cus.     Small-billed  Waterthrush. 

Geog.  Dist.  of  noveboracensis. — Eastern  North  America,  north 
to  Newfoundland,  coast  of  Labrador  and  Hudson  Bay;  breed- 


234  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

ing  from  mountains  of  West  Virginia,  northern  New  England, 
Michigan,  Wisconsin  northward.  The  subspecies,  notabilis, 
ranges  throughout  western  North  America  from  Indiana  and 
Illinois  (more  rarely  eastward)  to  the  Pacific,  north  into  British 
Columbia  and  along  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  Alaska  and  East 
Cape  in  Siberia.  It  breeds  from  Minnesota,  western  Nebraska 
and  the  more  northern  Rocky  Mountains  of  the  United  States 
northward.  In  winter  both  subspecies  go  to  the  West  Indies 
(chiefly  the  eastern  form),  Mexico,  Central  America,  Panama, 
Colombia,  Venezuela  and  British  Guiana  (both  forms  together). 
Water  thrushes  which  winter  in  southern  Florida  are  said  to  be- 
long to  the  western  subspecies,  but  there  is  so  much  difficulty 
in  separating  the  two  forms,  that  it  has  not  yet  been  possible 
to  trace  their  migration  routes  from  summer  to  winter  homes. 
Eastern  Missouri  seems  to  be  the  region  where  these  migration 
routes  overlap,  as  we  see  birds  both  with  white  and  decidedly 
yellow  underparts.  It  will  therefore  be  well  for  collectors  to 
pay  special  attention  to  distinguish  between  the  two  forms  in 
order  to  find  out  in  what  proportion  they  occur;  it  is  generally 
accepted  that  the  Water  Thrushes  of  Missouri  belong  to  the 
western  form,  notabilis.  Water  Thrushes  are  common  and  regu- 
lar transient  visitants  in  all  parts  of  Missouri,  but  most  common 
eastward,  less  so  westward,  where  Audubon  found  them  May 
4,  1843,  at  Leavenworth  and  May  7,  1843,  at  St.  Joseph.'  It 
is  also  reported  by  Mr.  Tindall  from  Independence,  May  15, 
1899,  and  by  W.  E.  D.  Scott  from  Warrensburg,  where  it  was 
quite  common  and  first  noted  during  the  first  week  in  May,  1874. 
In  Taney  Co.  the  writer  found  it  common  and  in  song  along 
White  River,  May  7  to  10,  1906.  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff  found  it 
common  in  Shannon  Co.,  May  9,  1907.  In  the  vicinity  of  St. 
Louis  the  "firsts"  appear  with  great  regularity  between  April 
24  and  28,  exceptionally  a  few  days  earlier  (April  21,  1883). 
The  bulk  is  present  from  May  5  to  12  and  the  last  are  seen  in 
the  third  week  of  May  from  the  15  to  the  22,  exceptionally 
later  (May  31,  1897).  There  is  very  little  difference  between 
St.  Louis  dates  and  those  collected  by  Mr.  Currier  at  Keokuk, 
where  it  is  an  abundant  migrant,  arriving  between  April  20, 
1896,  and  May  6,  1892,  but  mostly  about  April  30,  with  the  last 
dates,  May  11, 1897,  and  May  12, 1893.  Its  frequent  song  greatly 
facilitates  identification,  since  it  is  entirely  different  from  that 
of  the  Louisiana  Water  Thrush,  in  the  haunts,  of  which  it  often 
dwells  while  with  us  in  spring  migration,  and  with  which  it 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  235 

shares  a  characteristic  alarm-note.  It  is  the  first  warbler  to 
return  to  us  in  fall,  having  been  observed  as  early  as  August  12, 
1887,  on  the  sandy  islands  in  the  Mississippi  River  opposite 
St.  Louis,  but  it  is  more  common  and  generally  distributed 
from  the  end  of  August  to  the  fourth  week  in  September,  when 
most  are  gone,  but,  exceptionally,  stragglers  have  been  noted 
as  late  as  October  17,  1885.  In  the  abnormally  cold  spring  of 
1907  the  species  was  not  noticed  at  St.  Louis  before  May  9, 
but  it  was  unusually  abundant  and  full  of  song  from  May  16 
to  22. 

*676.  SEIURUS  MOTACILLA  (Vieill.).     Louisiana  Water-Thrush. 

Turdus  ludovicianus.      Siurus  motacilla.      Seiurus  ludovicianus.      Large- 
billed  Waterthrush. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  southern  Ontario, 
north  to  southern  New  England,  southern  Michigan,  southern 
Wisconsin  and  southeastern  Minnesota;  west  to  eastern  Ne- 
braska, eastern  Kansas,  Texas.  Breeds  from  the  Gulf  States 
northward  and  winters  from  the  Bahamas  through  the  West 
Indies  to  western  Mexico  and  south  through  Central  America 
to  Colombia. 

In  Missouri  a  common  and  generally  distributed  summer 
resident,  more  common  south  of  the  Missouri  River  than  north 
of  it  except  along  the  river  bottoms.  Near  the  state  line  in 
the  southeast,  where  it  is  very  common,  it  appears  at  its  breed- 
ing stands  about  the  middle  of  March  (March  12,  1894),  but 
near  St.  Louis  seldom  before  April  (earliest  March  29,  1884), 
usually  between  April  4  and  12.  Other  early  dates  are  Jasper, 
April  1,  1902;  Warrensburg,  April  1,  1905.  Earliest  at  Keokuk, 
April  13,  1893.  In  Shannon  Co.  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff  noticed 
it  first  March  21,  1907.  In  fall  it  retires  from  its  more  northern 
stations  in  the  latter  part  of  September  (last  at  Keokuk,  Sep- 
tember 14,  1893;  St.  Charles  Co.,  September  27,  1905;  St. 
Louis,  September  29,  1885,  and  October  5,  1906).  In  Dunklin 
Co.  it  was  still  common  and  in  song  early  in  October,  1896. 

*677.  GEOTHLYPIS  FORMOSA  (Wils.).    Kentucky  Warbler. 

Sylvia  formosa.     Sylvicola  formosa.      Myiodioctes  formosus.      Trichas  for- 
mosa.     Sylvania  formosa.     Oporornis  formosus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States,  north  to  southeastern 
New  York  (rarely  to  Connecticut  and  Long  Island),  New  Jersey, 
eastern  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  southern  Michigan,  Wisconsin 


236  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

and  Minnesota;  west  to  eastern  Nebraska  and  eastern  Texas. 
Breeds  from  North  Carolina,  Alabama,  Louisiana  and  Texas 
northward  and  winters  from  southern  Mexico  through  Central 
America  to  Panama,  rarely  to  Colombia. 

In  Missouri  a  common  and  generally  distributed  summer 
resident  in  all  wooded  districts,  especially  in  river  bottoms,  in 
the  southeast  as  well  as  in  the  Ozarks  and  prairie  region.  Audu- 
bon  found  it  in  the  region  of  Leavenworth  and  St.  Joseph, 
May  4  and  6,  1843.  Dr.  Hoy  writes  that  it  was  abundant 
in  the  Grand  River  bottom  near  Chillicothe,  May  16,  1854. 
Dr.  J.  A.  Allen  noted  it  at  Leavenworth  in  May  1871,  and  W.  E. 
D.  Scott  calls  it  a  common,  but  shy  breeder  at  Warrensburg 
in  1874.  In  the  peninsula,  where  summer  sojourners  arrive 
much  earlier  than  in  the  rest  of  the  state,  its  presence  has  been 
noted  as  early  as  April  9,  but  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis  the 
"firsts"  are  recorded  between  April  21  and  25,  and  in  western 
and  northern  Missouri  in  the  last  days  of  the  month  (St.  Louis 
April  21,  1885,  April  21,  1886;  Independence  April  29,  1900, 
April  30,  1899;  Stotesbury,  Vernon  Co.,  April  30,  1898;  Keokuk, 
April  26,  1898,  April  30,  1895).  Full  numbers  have  seldom 
been  present  at  St.  Louis  before  the  first  week  of  May.  The 
bulk  of  the  species  leaves  us  in  August  and  the  last  bird  was 
seen  at  St.  Louis  September  8,  1897. 

678.  GEOTHLYPIS  AGILIS  (Wils.).    Connecticut  Warbler. 

Sylvia  agilis.     Sylvicola  agilis.     Trichas  agilis.     Oporornis  agilis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  New  England, 
Ontario,  Michigan  and  Manitoba.  Breeds  in  Manitoba,  Minne- 
sota, Wisconsin  and  northern  Michigan.  Winters  somewhere 
in  South  America,  migrating  by  way  of  Bahama,  but  never 
recorded  from  October  22  to  April  9. 

In  Missouri  a  rather  rare  but  regular  spring  transient  visitant 
along  the  eastern  border  from  St.  Louis  northward  (Quincy, 
Warsaw,  Keokuk).  Only  one  record  in  fall,  October  5,  1897, 
Keokuk,  Mr.  E.  S.  Currier.  The  14th,  15th  and  16th  of  May 
are  the  days  when  it  is  first  noted  at  St.  Louis  and  it. is  always 
with  us  on  May  20th,  21st  and  22nd,  and  likely  to  remain 
to  the  end  of  the  month,  if  the  weather  is  cool.  May  29,  1882, 
May  31,  1897;  and  at  Keokuk,  June  1,  1897.  It  frequents  dark, 
shady  forests  and  is  usually  seen  along  the  banks  of  creeks  and 
sloughs.  Very  shy,  it  would  easily  escape  detection,  if  its  very 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  237 

peculiar  song  would  not  betray  it.  This  song  is  oftenest  given 
in  the  forenoon  after  most  other  songsters  have  already  quieted 
down  and,  although  it  varies  considerably  in  different  indi- 
viduals, it  can  always  be  rendered  by  a  three-syllabled  word 
with  the  accent  on  the  first  syllable,  repeated  three  times,  and 
followed  by  a  one-syllabled  "  hee  "  in  a  higher  key. 

679.  GEOTHLYPIS  PHILADELPHIA  (Wils.).    Mourning  Warbler. 

Sylvia  Philadelphia.     Trichas  philadelphica. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Nova  Scotia, 
New  Brunswick,  Prince  Edward  Island,  central  Ontario  and 
Manitoba  and  eastern  Assiniboia.  Breeds  from  the  mountains 
of  West  Virginia,  from  New  England,  New  York,  Michigan, 
Minnesota,  Nebraska  and  North  Dakota  northward.  Migrates 
by  way  of  Louisiana  and  Texas  to  Nicaragua,  Costa  Rica,  Co- 
lombia and  Ecuador.  No  records  in  the  South  Atlantic  and 
Gulf  States  from  North  Carolina  to  Mississippi. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant  in  all  parts 
of  the  state,  rarer  westward,  where  found  by  Audubon  near 
St.  Joseph,  May  6,  1843.  Writing  his  diary  at  Chillicothe, 
May  16,  1854,  Dr.  P.  R.  Hoy  says:  "Here  we  found  the  home 
of  Trichas  Philadelphia,  a  locality  where  this  bird  is  common; 
they  frequent  localities  covered  with  dense  underbrush  overrun 
with  climbing  roses  and  honeysuckles.  I  listened  to  the  song 
of  T.  Philadelphia,  T.  marylandica  and  T.  formosa  at  the  same 
time."  In  his  list  of  birds  made  at  Warrensburg,  Johnson  Co., 
W.  E.  D.  Scott  says  of  this  species:  "Not  very  rare;  took  two 
during  the  spring;  the  first  May  12,  the  second  May  18,  1874." 
Though  the  first  may  be  found  in  the  second  week  of  May  (May 
10,  1886,  St.  Louis)  we  are  most  sure  to  find  it  during  the  third 
week  or  from  14th  to  21st  and  in  cool  weather  even  later,  the 
last  at  St.  Louis  being  May  26,  1882  and  1886.  At  Keokuk, 
where  they  are  usually  found  in  the  fourth  week  of  May,  they 
linger  into  June,  and  Mr.  E.  S.  Currier  reported  one  as  late  as 
June  25,  1893,  possibly  a  summer  resident.  In  fall  the  species 
passes  through  in  September  (September  10,  1901),  but  is  easily 
overlooked,  because  very  shy  and  silent.  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff 
took  one  at  Eudy  in  Shannon  Co.,  May  13,  1907.  At  St.  Louis 
the  first  was  seen  May  18,  1907,  and  the  last,  a  pair  with  the 
the  male  in  full  song,  remained  at  the  same  place  from  May  30 
to  June  3. 


238  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

*681d.  GEOTHLYPIS  TRICHAS  BRACHIDACTYLA  (Swains.).     Nor- 
thern Yellow-throat. 

Sylvia  trichas.     Trichas  marylandica.     Trichas  personatus.     Maryland  Yel- 
low-throat. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northeastern  United  States  and  southeastern 
British  Provinces,  from  Newfoundland,  southern  Labrador, 
Quebec,  Nova  Scotia,  New  Brunswick,  New  England,  New  York 
and  northern  New  Jersey  westward  to  northern  Ontario, 
Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  eastern  Dakota,  Athabasca 
and  Alberta;  southward  through  the  Mississippi  Valley  to  up- 
land of  Gulf  States  and  eastern  central  Texas.  In  winter  to 
Bahamas,  Cuba,  Jamaica,  Swan  Island  and  through  eastern 
Mexico  to  Costa  Rica;  during  migration  whole  United  States 
east  of  the  Great  Plains.  Yellow-throats  which  winter  in  south- 
ern Louisiana  and  Texas  are  said  to  belong  to  the  subspecies 
ignota  and  trichas.  The  Yellow-throats  of  eastern  North 
America  are  at  present  (1907)  split  into  three  subspecies,  of 
which  the  northern  has  the  largest  range;  ignota  is  the  south- 
eastern form,  from  Virginia  along  the  edge  of  the  coastal  plain 
to  southern  Georgia  and  Florida,  thence  westward  to  Louisiana. 
The  typical  trichas  trichas  has  the  smallest  range  between  the 
two  others  on  the  Atlantic  coast  from  Georgia  to  Maryland 
and  southern  New  Jersey. 

The  Yellow-throat  is  one  of  the  commonest,  probably  the 
most  common,  of  summer  resident  warblers  in  Missouri;  it 
inhabits  forest  and  swamp  as  well  as  cultivated  land  and  is  found 
in  the  Ozarks  and  prairie  region,  in  the  bottoms  as  well  as  on 
the  bluffs  of  our  rivers  throughout  the  state.  Like  many  other 
summer  sojourners  it  begins  to  return  to  its  breeding  grounds 
in  the  peninsula  of  the  southeast  much  earlier  than  to  the  rest 
of  the  state  and  was  found  in  Pemiscot  Co.  as  early  as  April 
8,  1893.  The  earliest  at  St.  Louis  is  April  14,  1887,  but  as  the 
weather  at  that  time  is  often  adverse  to  bird  migration,  the 
majority  of  records  of  first  arrivals  is  between  April  17  and 
21,  in  some  years  even  a  few  days  later.  April  27  is  the  day 
when  it  is  numerous  and  noisy,  indicating  the  arrival  of  the 
bulk,  including  females;  and  large  numbers  of  transients  remain 
with  us  during  the  first  week  of  May,  when  the  species  is  met 
with  everywhere,  even  in  gardens,  orchards  and  places  where  it 
does  not  nest.  In  northern  and  western  Missouri  it  is  usually 
a  few  days  later  than  at  St.  Louis,  being  noted  first  during  the 
fourth  week  of  April  and  at  the  northern  border  at  Keokuk 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  239 

often  only  in  the  last  two  days  of  the  month  or  in  May.  Fall 
migration  begins  early  in  September,  when  its  song  is  again 
heard;  adults  and  young  are  abundant  during  the  second  and 
third  week  at  St.  Louis  and  their  song  is  heard  as  late  as  Sep- 
tember 19,  but  the  species  grows  rapidly  scarce  after  the  20th 
and  only  plain-colored,  shy  loiterers  are  met  with  at  the  end 
of  the  month  or  in  early  October.  Last  records  at  St.  Louis 
are  October  2,  1887,  October  4,  1895,  and  October  1,  1896; 
latest  for  the  state  is  October  14, 1903,  New  Haven,  Dr.  Eimbeck. 

*683.  ICTERIA  VIRENS  (Linn.).    Yellow-breasted  Chat. 

Icteria  viridis.     Pipra  polyglotia. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  southern  Ontario; 
north  to  New  England,  southern  Michigan,  southern  Wisconsin 
and  southern  Minnesota;  west  to  eastern  South  Dakota,  eastern 
Nebraska,  Kansas,  eastern  Texas  and  southward  to  the  Rio 
Grande  where  meeting  the  western  form  longicauda.  Breeds 
from  Rio  Grande  and  upper  portions  of  Gulf  States  northward, 
and  winters  southward  through  eastern  Mexico  and  Central 
America  to  Costa  Rica.  It  does  not  visit  Florida,  Bahamas 
and  West  Indies. 

In  Missouri  the  Chat  is  a  common  summer  resident  in  all 
parts  of  the  state,  but  particularly  abundant  in  the  Ozark 
and  Ozark  border  regions.  In  its  return  to  the  breeding  grounds 
it  is  pretty  regular,  appearing  at  St.  Louis  and  in  most  parts 
of  southern  Missouri  between  April  23  and  28.  Exceptionally 
early  dates  have  been  recorded,  as  St.  Louis,  April  18,  and  Kan- 
sas City,  April  20,  1903;  Keokuk,  April  19,  1896.  This  latter 
date  is  extremely  early  as  the  "firsts"  of  eight  other  years  vary 
between  April  29  and  May  6  (E.  S.  Currier).  The  bulk  of  the 
species  arrives  at  St.  Louis  the  last  of  April  or  first  days  of  May, 
when  its  peculiar,  loud  song  is  heard  from  morning  till  night 
and  not  seldom  in  moonlit  nights.  After  the  song  period  is 
over  about  the  middle  of  July  the  species  is  not  seen  often 
and  its  departure  is  easily  unnoticed,  but  there  is  little  doubt 
that  the  majority  depart  in  August  and  early  September  (Sep- 
tember 1, 1902,  and  September  2, 1901,  Jasper,  Mr.  W.  G.  Savage, 
and  September  5,  1903,  Shannon  Co.,  by  the  same  observer). 
That  some  individuals  remain  longer  has  been  noticed  at  St. 
Louis,  where  one  was  met  with  as  late  as  September  25  at  Creve 
Coeur  Lake,  St.  Louis  Co. 


240  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

*684.  WILSONIA  MITRATA   (Gmel.).     Hooded  Warbler, 

Sylvia  mitrata.        Setophaga  mitrata.         Sylvania  mitrata.          Myiodioctes 
mitratus.        Muscicapa  cucullata.        Muscicapa  selbii  (female). 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  southern  Ontario' 
north  to  Connecticut,  central  Michigan,  southeastern  Wisconsin, 
southeastern  Nebraska;  west  to  eastern  Kansas.  Breeds  from 
Louisiana  east  and  northward.  Winters  from  eastern  Mexico 
to  Panama. 

In  Missouri  a  common  summer  resident  in  the  southeast, 
fairly  common  in  the  Ozarks,  Ozark  border  and  in  the  bluff  as 
well  as  bottom  lands  of  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  Rivers, 
at  least  as  far  up  as  East  Leaven  worth,  Platte  Co.,  where  ob- 
served by  Audubon,  May  4,  1843,  and  by  the  writer  in  June 
1906.  Rare  in  the  prairie  region  north  and  west,  where  suitable 
localities  are  getting  scarcer  and  scarcer  with  the  removal  of  all 
tree  growth  from  creek  and  river  bottoms.  That  the  species, 
a  denizen  of  the  forest,  seems  unable  to  change  its  habits  to  con- 
form to  the  present  state  of  civilization  is  deplorable,  as  the  bird 
would  be  a  most  desirable  ornament  to  our  parks  and  gardens, 
being  not  only  one  of  the  most  beautiful  birds,  but  also  a  fine 
songster.  In  the  southeast  its  arrival  in  spring  is  much  earlier 
than  farther  north  and  has  been  noticed  in  Dunklin  Co.,  April 
2,  1897,  when  singing  males  were  already  present.  At  St. 
Louis  the  first  songs  are  heard  between  April  17  and  25,  oftenest 
April  24,  and  the  females  arrive  from  April  28  to  30.  At  our 
northern  boundary  it  arrives  in  the  first  week  in  May.  Its  cheer- 
ful song  is  heard  nearly  throughout  its  sojourn,  even  to  its  de- 
parture in  the  latter  part  of  September  (September  20,  1897, 
St.  Charles  Co.,  September  28,  1895,  Dunklin  Co.). 

685.  WILSONIA  PUSILLA  (Wils.).    Wilson's  Warbler. 

Muscicapa  pusilla.     Sylvania  pusilla.     Myiodioctes  pusillus.    Sylvia  wil- 
sonii.    Setophaga  wilsonii.    Myiodioctes  wilsonii.    Sylvia  wilsonii.  Wil- 
son's Blackcap.     Black-capped  Warbler. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Newfoundland, 
Labrador,  Hudson  Bay  and  Athabasca;  west  to  eastern  edge 
of  Great  Plains.  Breeds  from  Nova  Scotia,  New  Brunswick, 
Maine,  northern  Minnesota  and  Manitoba  northward  and  winters 
on  the  Atlantic  slope  of  Central  America  from  Guatemala  to 
Costa  Rica;  no  record  from  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  coast 
between  South  Carolina  and  Texas. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  241 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant  in  all  parts 
of  the  state,  spring  and  fall.  It  is  one  of  the  later  migrants, 
most  numerous  in  the  second  week  of  May,  but  the  first  arrivals 
reach  St.  Louis  May  4  or  5,  exceptionally  earlier,  as  April  29, 
1885,  May  1,  1884,  May  2,  1887.  It  is  quite  unsuspicious  and 
its  song  is  often  heard  during  the  whole  of  its  stay  with  us. 
It  generally  disappears  during  the  third  week  of  May,  mostly 
17  to  22,  but  sometimes  a  loiterer  is  found  later,  as  May  25, 
1882,  St.  Louis.  In  1907  both  sexes  were  unusually  numerous 
from  May  11  to  24  incl.  On  their  return  journey  the  first  reach 
us  in  the  latter  part  of  August  (August  23,  1897;  August  24, 
1898;  August  25,  1901)  and  some  are  met  with  nearly  to  the 
end  of  September  (September  25,  1897;  September  27,  1895; 
September  29,  1887). 

685a.  WILSONIA  PUSILLA  PILEOLATA  (Pall.).    Pileolated  Warbler. 

Myiodioctes  pusillus  var.  pUeolatus.    Sylvania  pusilla  pileolata. 

Geog.  Dist. — Western  North  America,  north  to  Alaska. 
Breeds  in  higher  mountains  from  Texas  north,  and  throughout 
the  interior  west  to  eastern  Oregon  and  British  Columbia. 
During  migration  eastward  across  the  Great  Plains  to  Minnesota, 
eastern  Nebraska,  western  Missouri.  In  winter  from  Yucatan 
to  Costa  Rica. 

Has  been  taken  at  Independence  (Ridgway  vol.  2,  p.  712) 
and  must  be  regarded  as  a  casual  transient  visitant  along  our 
western  border. 

686.  WILSONIA  CANADENSIS  (Linn.).    Canadian  Warbler. 

Muscicapa  canadensis.  Setophaga  canadensis.  Myiodioctes  canadensis. 
Sylvania  canadensis.  Sylvia  pardalina.  Muscicapa  bonapartei  (young  in 
autumn).  Myiodioctes  bonapartei.  Sylvania  bonapartei.  Canada  Fly- 
catching  Warbler. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America;  north  to  Newfound- 
land, southern  Labrador,  Hudson  Bay,  Saskatchewan,  Atha- 
basca and  Alberta.  Breeds  from  the  mountains  of  North  Caro- 
lina, the  higher  parts  of  New  York  and  New  England,  southern 
Ontario,  central  Michigan,  central  Wisconsin  and  central  Minne- 
sota northward.  Migrates  through  the  wooded  districts  of 
the  eastern  United  States,  southern  Texas,  and  eastern  Mexico 
and  Central  America  to  winter  in  Ecuador  and  Peru,  6000 
miles  from  their  most  northern  breeding  grounds. 


242  Trans.  A  cad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

In  Missouri  a  regular  and  fairly  common  transient  visitant 
during  spring  and  fall  along  the  eastern  border  of  the  state, 
the  southeast  and  the  counties  along  the  Mississippi  River 
being  apparently  one  of  its  main  thoroughfares.  With  its  spright- 
ly ways  and  frequent  singing  it  is  one  of  the  transient  war- 
blers which  cannot  easily  escape  observers,  and  its  absence 
from  their  lists  is  proof  that  it  must  be  of  rare  occurrence  in  the 
rest  of  the  state.  In  the  southeast  (New  Madrid  Co.)  it  was  once 
seen  as  early  as  April  10,  1893,  but  the  first  record  for  St.  Louis 
is  April  28,  1888,  unusually  early.  May  5  to  25  is  the  regular 
time  of  its  presence,  most  numerous  in  the  middle  of  the  month, 
and  latest  dates,  May  29,  1897,  West  Quincy;  May  28,  1893, 
Keokuk.  In  fall  the  species  is  with  us  for  fully  six  weeks  from 
August  15  to  September  26,  oftenest  in  the  first  half  of  September; 
latest  at  St.  Louis,  October  5,  1905.  In  the  abnormal  spring 
of  1907  both  sexes  were  unusually  common  at  St.  Louis  from 
May  13  to  June  3. 

*687.  SETOPHAGA  RUTICILLA  (Linn.).    American  Redstart. 

Muscicapa  ruticilla. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America  except  Pacific  coast  district 
and  western  portions  of  Rocky  Mountains  district;  north  to 
Newfoundland,  Nova  Scotia,  Hudson  Bay,  and  in  the  interior 
to  Mackenzie;  on  the  Pacific  coast  to  southern  Alaska;  west  to 
Utah,  Idaho,  eastern  Washington  and  British  Columbia.  Breeds 
from  North  Carolina,  west-central  Alabama,  Arkansas  and 
Indian  Territory  northward.  Winters  from  the  West  Indies 
and  Mexico  to  Ecuador. 

In  Missouri  a  common  and  generaly  distributed  summer  resi- 
dent in  all  parts  of  the  state,  chiefly  in  the  timber  of  river  and 
creek  bottoms.  Also  a  very  common  transient  in  spring  and 
fall  in  all  kinds  of  locations,  even  in  city  parks,  orchards,  ceme- 
teries etc.  In  the  southeast,  where  it  is  only  fairly  common 
as  a  breeder,  but  abundant  in  migration  from  the  middle  of  April 
to  the  middle  of  May,  it  was  first  noticed  April  11,  1893.  In 
the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis  and  most  parts  of  southern  Missouri 
its  arrival  varies  from  April  16  to  25,  the  males  always  preceding 
the  females  and  young  a  few  days,  the  bulk  of  the  species, 
including  transients  being  present  from  the  end  of  April  to  the 
middle  of  May.  At  our  northern  border  (Keokuk)  the  first 
are  usually  seen  April  30,  some  years  as  late  as  May  6,  1892, 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  243 

but  very  exceptionally  as  early  as  April  20,  1896,  when  even 
the  bulk  arrived  April  25  (E.  S.  Currier).  Along  our  western 
border  we  have  the  following  dates:  Vernon  Co.,  April  24, 
1898;  Independence,  April  27, 1900,  and  April  30,  1899;  Leaven- 
worth,  Audubon,  May  4,  1843.  Fall  migration  takes  place 
from  the  middle  of  August  to  the  end  of  September,  but  song 
is  seldom  heard  after  August  25,  and  young  birds  predominate 
in  September,  though  the  very  last  bird  seen  may  be  an  old 
male.  Last  date  at  St.  Louis,  October  5,  1906  (a  family,  adults 
and  young  together);  Shannon  Co.,  October  10,  1904;  Keokuk, 
October  20,  1900. 

Family  MOTACILLIDAE.     Wagtails. 
697.  ANTHUS  PENSILVANICUS  (Lath.).    American  Pipit. 

Anthus  ludomcianus.     Alauda  rufa.     Anthus  spinoletta.     Anthus  aquations. 
Anthus  pipiens.     Titlark. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America,  north  to  Greenland,  Alaska 
and  northeastern  Siberia.  Breeds  from  Newfoundland,  Quebec, 
high  mountains  of  Colorado  and  the  Sierra  Nevada  northward 
and  winters  from  the  Gulf  States  through  Mexico  to  Guatemala. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant  in  April  and 
October,  moving  in  flocks  of  from  thirty  to  one  hundred  or  more, 
frequenting  plowed  fields  and  burnt-over  marshes,  and  re- 
maining sometimes  several  weeks  in  the  same  locality.  It  is 
not  known  to  winter  anywhere  in  the  state,  but  lingers  some 
years  much  longer  than  in  others  as  for  instance  in  1892,  when 
Mr.  Currier  met  with  some  as  late  as  December  11,  near  Keokuk, 
la.  That  the  southward  movement  of  the  Titlarks  was  excep- 
tionally much  protracted  in  1892  is  also  shown  by  Mr.  R.  Deane, 
who  found  hundreds  of  them  in  the  marshes  at  English  Lake 
in  northwestern  Indiana,  November  16,  and  by  a  late  report 
from  Michigan,  October  20,  near  Detroit. 

700.  ANTHUS  SPRAGUEII  (Aud.).    Sprague's  Pipit. 

Alauda  spragueii.     Neocorys  spraguei.     Missouri  Skylark. 

Geog.  Dist. — In  summer  from  eastern  Montana  and  northern 
North  Dakota  northward,  chiefly  on  the  virgin  prairies  of  Assin- 
iboia;  east  rarely  to  Red  River  Valley  and  Manitoba.  In  winter 
to  southern  Louisiana  and  Texas,  south  through  eastern  Mexico 
to  Vera  Cruz  and  Puebla.  Occasional  to  South  Carolina.  In 


244  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

migration  through  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  rarely  west  to  Wyom- 
ing. 

This  species  finds  a  place  in  our  list  on  the  strength  of  a  single 
record,  it  being  reported  by  Mr.  Geo.  E.  Stillwell  from  Kansas 
City,  Mo.,  March  20,  1882  (Bird  migration  in  the  Mississippi 
Valley,  Forest  and  Stream,  1882,  p.  283).  Since  it  has  repeatedly 
been  taken  in  southeastern  Nebraska  it  stands  to  reason  that 
its  rarity  as  a  transient  visitant  in  Missouri  is  only  apparent 
and  research  along  our  western  border  will  probably  be  re- 
warded by  discoveries  which  may  enable  us  to  remove  it  from 
the  rank  of  great  rarities  and  place  it  with  Baird's  Sparrow, 
McCown's  and  Chestnut-collared  Longspurs  among  the  regular 
transients. 

Family  MIMIDAE.    Thrashers,  etc. 
*703.  MIMUS  POLYGLOTTUS  (Linn.).    Mockingbird. 

Turdus  polyglottus.     Mocker. 

Geog.  Dist. — United  States  and  Mexico;  north  to  Maryland 
(irregularly  to  Massachusetts),  southern  Ohio,  Indiana,  southern 
Illinois,  Missouri,  Nebraska  and  eastern  Colorado;  rarely  to 
northern  Illinois,  Iowa  and  southern  Wisconsin.  Breeds 
throughout  its  United  States  range  and  winters  wherever  it 
breeds,  but  chiefly  in  the  southern  states  and  southward. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  summer  resident  in  the  southern 
half  of  the  state,  rarer  northward,  but  reaching  the  northern 
border  at  Keokuk  where  Mr.  Currier  found  it  to  be  a  rare  breeder 
in  1895,  '96,  '97,  '98  and  '99.  At  St.  Joseph  its  occurrence, 
May  26,  1896,  is  regarded  as  accidental  by  Mr.  S.  S.  Wilson, 
though  it  is  listed  as  a  common  breeder  in  southern  Nebraska. 
South  of  the  Missouri  River  the  species  is  partly  a  permanent 
resident,  rarely  north  of  it,  as  at  Fayette,  Howard  Co.,  Feb- 
ruary 2,  1893.  Unfortunately  the  tendency  to  winter  at  its 
breeding  places  is  a  great  drawback  in  the  extension  of  its  summer 
range  as  many  succumb  to  the  severity  of  our  winters.  Those 
that  leave  us  in  fall  return  very  irregularly,  some  in  the  latter 
half  of  March,  most  of  them  in  April,  the  last  not  before  early 
May.  Its  withdrawal  takes  place  in  October.  The  Mocking- 
bird seeks  the  friendship  of  man  and  where  protected  becomes 
half-domesticated.  Writing  from  Alexandria,  Clark  Co.,  Mr. 
Jasper  Blines  says  in  Forest  and  Stream,  vol.  31,  p.  343: 
"November  22,  1888.  A  few  southern  Mockingbirds  reach  this 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  245 

latitude,  appearing  in  May  and  going  south  the  latter  part  of 
July." 

*704.  GALEOSCOPTES  CAROLINENSIS  (Linn.).    Catbird. 

Mimus  carolinensis.    Orpheus  carolinensis.    Muscicapa  carolinensis.    Mimus 
felivox.     Turdus  lividis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Nova  Scotia, 
Prince  Edward  Island,  New  Brunswick,  Quebec,  Ontario,  Sas- 
katchewan, and  through  British  Columbia  to  the  Pacific;  west 
to  and  including  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Breeds  from  the  Gulf 
States  northward.  Winters  in  the  Southern  States,  Cuba, 
Central  America  to  Panama. 

In  Missouri  a  very  common  summer  resident  in  all  parts  of 
the  state  except  the  southeast  where  it  is  a  rare  breeder,  but 
occasionally  winters  (Dunklin  Co.,  January  15,  1896).  The 
earliest  arrivals  are  reported  from  the  southwest,  April  8,  1894, 
Vernon  Co.,  April  10,  1903,  Jasper  Co.  At  Festus,  Jefferson 
Co.,  it  was  seen  as  early  as  April  15,  1903;  at  St.  Louis,  the 
earliest  are  April  16  and  April  18,  but  the  majority  of  dates  of 
a  long  series  of  years  fall  in  the  fourth  week  of  the  month,  at 
which  time  the  first  Catbirds  are  usually  reported  from  several 
stations  in  central  Missouri  and  during  the  last  days  of  April 
also  from  the  northern  border.  The  last  days  of  April  and  first 
few  days  of  May  is  the  time  when  the  bulk,  the  great  army, 
of  Catbirds,  invade  the  whole  state  and  become  common  and 
conspicuous  songsters  where  before  only  silent  and  solitary 
birds  have  been  seen.  Numbers  of  transient  individuals  are 
present,  sometimes  in  small  flocks,  during  the  first  half  of  May, 
when  our  own  Catbirds  already  have  nests  and  eggs,  often  be- 
ginning to  build  immediately  after  the  arrival  of  the  female 
at  the  close  of  April.  Like  its  cousin,  the  Mockingbird,  the 
Catbird  is  availing  itself  more  and  more  of  the  protection  which 
close  proximity  to  human  habitation  affords,  and  though  its 
original  haunts  are  the  edge  of  the  forests  and  the  fringe  along 
watercourses,  it  is  now  found  nesting  mostly  about  farmhouses 
and  in  gardens  and  park-like  places  even  in  the  midst  of  towns 
and  cities.  The  return  movement  of  birds  from  the  north  sets 
in  about  the  first  of  September,  when  for  several  weeks  Catbirds 
are  again  plentiful,  but  after  the  middle  of  the  month  their 
numbers  vary,  some  days  few  are  seen,  then  again  many,  until 
the  end  of  the  month,  when  the  species  becomes  rare.  At  St. 
Louis  the  last  are  noted  during  the  first  week  of  October,  rarely 


246  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

later  when  detained  by  an  unusually  large  crop  of  wild  grapes. 
Late  dates  for  the  state  are  October  10,  1904,  Kansas  City;  Oc- 
tober 20,  1885,  Fayette;  October  13,  1903,  and  October  21, 
1902,  New  Haven,  Mo. 

*705.  TOXOSTOMA  RUFUM  (Linn.).    Brown  Thrasher. 

Turdus  rufus.     Orpheus  rufus.     Harporhynchus  rufus.      Brown  Thrush. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  southern  Maine, 
southern  Quebec,  southern  Ontario,  Manitoba,  Assiniboia  and 
southern  Alberta;  west  to  eastern  Colorado  and  eastern  Texas. 
Breeds  from  the  Gulf  States  northward.  Winters  in  the  South- 
ern States. 

In  Missouri  a  common  summer  resident  in  all  well-settled 
parts;  most  numerous  in  the  Ozark  border  and  prairie  regions, 
rare  in  the  southeast  where  all  ground-feeding  landbirds  are 
rare,  and  rather  scarce  in  the  Ozarks  except  in  localities  which 
have  long  been  settled,  where  they  are  fairly  common.  A  few 
winter  in  the  southeast  (January  1896,  Dunklin  Co.)  and  some 
impatient  old  males  return  to  their  breeding  stands  in  southern 
Missouri  quite  early  (March  1,  1905,  and  March  10,  1902,  Festus, 
Jefferson  Co.;  March  9,  1902,  New  Haven,  Franklin  Co.).  The 
earliest  at  St.  Louis  is  March  13,  1882,  and  March  14,  1880, 
but  from  March  20  to  25  is  the  time  when  its  song  is  usually 
heard  for  the  first  time  at  St.  Louis  and  in  most  parts  of  southern 
and  east-central  Missouri.  In  the  northern  and  western  prairie 
region  Thrashers  are  seldom  heard  before  April  and,  since  the 
weather  of  the  first  week  of  April  is  often  cold  and  unfavorable, 
usually  not  before  the  second  week.  In  some  years  the  northern 
border  has  not  been  reached  before  the  third  week  (April  20, 
1902;  April  22,  1890;  April  22,  1900,  Keokuk).  The  bulk  of 
the  species  reaches  St.  Louis  nearly  always  between  the  tenth 
and  the  fifteenth  of  April  and  Keokuk  between  the  seventeenth 
and  twenty-ninth.  Transients  in  small  troops  pass  through  mostly 
in  the  second  week  of  April,  when  the  Thrasher  is  one  of  the  most 
conspicuous  and  common  songsters  in  St.  Louis.  Though  not 
so  confiding  as  the  Catbird  and  Mocker,  the  Thrasher  also  comes 
to  nest  in  our  parks  and  orchards,  especially  where  protected 
from  his  many  enemies.  Its  splendid  song  continues  through 
April  and  most  of  May,  after  which  it  is  only  occasionally  heard 
until  molt  begins  in  the  middle  of  July.  We  hear  its  song  again 
in  fall,  but  only  occasionally,  as  the  species  remains  very  quiet 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  247 

as  a  rule  all  through  late  summer  and  fall,  withdrawing  to  local- 
ities where  it  finds  wild  grapes  and  different  kinds  of  berries, 
of  which  it  is  very  fond.  In  September  large  gatherings  may  be 
found  at  such  favorite  resorts,  but  after  the  first  of  October 
Thrashers  become  scarce,  though  some  are  present  until  the 
20th,  when  ordinarily  the  last  is  going.  Exceptionally  an  indi- 
vidual may  linger  into  winter,  even  in  north  Missouri,  where 
Mr.  Parker  saw  one  at  Montgomery  City  as  late  as  December 
17,  1904. 

Family  TROGLODYTIDAE.    Wrens. 
*718.  THRYOTHORUS  LUDOVICIANUS  (Lath.).    Carolina  Wren. 

Certhia  caroliniana.     Troglodytes  ludovicianus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  except  Florida  and 
Lower  Rio  Grande;  north  to  southern  New  England,  southern 
Michigan,  southern  Iowa,  southeastern  Nebraska  (where  very 
rare);  west  to  Kansas,  Oklahoma  and  western  Texas.  Breeds 
from  the  Gulf  coast  northward.  Non-migratory. 

In  Missouri  a  common  resident  from  the  Missouri  River 
southward,  fairly  common  to  rare  from  the  counties  bordering 
on  the  Missouri  northward  to  the  state  line.  At  East  Leaven- 
worth  the  writer  found  it  common  in  June  1906,  but  Mr.  Wilson 
considers  it  an  accidental  visitor  at  St.  Joseph,  where  he  captured 
one  April  4,  1896.  In  the  vicinity  of  Keokuk  Mr.  Currier  found 
it  to  be  of  very  irregular  occurrence,  generally  very  rare,  in 
1902  more  frequent,  therefore  thought  to  be  increasing  by  ex- 
tending its  breeding  range.  Being  a  ground-builder  the  Carolina 
Wren  has  been  driven  from  many  former  haunts  by  cats,  dogs 
and  hogs  and  may  thereby  be  forced  to  spread  to  near  regions, 
but  in  districts  where  it  is  most  numerous,  as  in  the  southeast 
and  in  valleys  of  the  Ozarks,  it  has  learned  to  place  its  nests 
like  the  House  and  Bewick's  Wrens  on  porches  and  about  build- 
ings out  of  reach  of  cats,  dogs  and  hogs.  Excepting  an  inter- 
mission of  six  weeks  during  August  and  September,  its  cheering 
song  may  be  heard  almost  every  day  of  the  year,  even  in  mid- 
winter on  sunny  days.  The  severity  of  our  winters  does  not  seem 
to  hurt  it  where,  among  fallen  trees  and  brush,  it  is  able  to  secure 
insect  food  in  any  kind  of  weather.  From  localities  less  suited 
for  this  purpose  it  withdraws  during  the  worst  part  of  the  season. 
Being  among  the  earliest  breeders  finished  nests  have  been  found 
by  the  middle  of  March  and  fully  fledged  young  early  in  May. 


248  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

*719.  THRYOMANES  BEWICKII  (Aud.).    Bewick's  Wren. 

Troglodytes  bewickii.    Thryothorus  bewickii.     Long-tailed  House  Wren. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States,  north  to  New  Jersey  and 
Minnesota;  rare  east  of  Alleghanies;  west  to  southeastern 
Nebraska  and  eastern  Texas.  Breeds  irregularly  throughout 
its  range,  having  its  center  of  distribution  in  summer  in 
southern  Missouri,  southern  Illinois  and  southern  Indiana 
and  is  said  to  extend  its  range  eastward  through  Ohio. 
It  winters  in  the  southern  United  States  from  southern 
Missouri  southward. 

All  through  the  Ozark  region  and  Ozark  border  the  Bewick 
is  the  common  House  Wren,  and  there  is  hardly  a  farm  house 
without  its  Bewick  Wren,  while  in  the  towns  there  is  one  or  more 
in  every  square.  There  it  takes  the  place  entirely  of  the  House 
Wren,  which  occurs  in  southeastern  Missouri  only  in  counties 
bordering  the  Mississippi  River.  It  is  not  known  to  occur  in 
western  Missouri  outside  of  the  Ozark  border  region  (rare  at 
Jasper,  not  known  at  Appleton  City,  Warrensburg,  Indepen- 
dence, etc.).  In  northern  Missouri  the  species  has  not  been 
observed  west  of  Howard  Co.  (Fayette,  March  12,  1903),  but 
is  reported  from  Montgomery  City  and  reaches  irregularly  our 
northern  state  line,  following  the  bluff  region  along  the  Missis- 
sippi to  Warsaw,  111.,  and  Keokuk,  la.,  where  it  was  noted 
April  20,  1896,  April  10,  1898,  April  9,  1901,  and  April  19,  1903, 
with  an  apparent  increase  in  numbers,  according  to  Mr.  Currier. 
Some  winter  in  southern  Missouri  even  as  far  north  as  St.  Louis 
Co.  (Old  Orchard  1896-1897)  and  Miller  Co.  (Iberia,  February 
3,  1905),  but  the  bulk  retires  to  more  southern  regions,  returning 
in  March  and  leaving  in  October.  Being  a  much  better  singer 
and  not  so  meddlesome  the  Bewick  is  greatly  preferred  as  a 
House  Wren,  but  is  often  dislodged  from  its  nesting  site  by 
aedon,  where  the  two  species  occur  together. 

[721.  TROGLODYTES  AEDON  Vieill.    House  Wren.] 

72  Ib.  TROGLODYTES  AEDON  AZTECUS  Baird.     Western    House 
Wren. 

Sylvia  domestica.     Troglodytes  domesticus.     Troglodytes  americanus.     Trog- 
lodytes fulvus. 

Geog.  Dist. — The  species  has  lately  been  split  into  three 
subspecies,  supposed  to  intergrade,  as  otherwise  they  would  have 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  249 

to  be  considered,  true  species;  they  are  the  eastern,  western 
and  pacific  (parkmanii)  subspecies.  The  range  of  aztecus  is 
said  to  include  Missouri,  reaching  east  as  far  as  the  prairie 
region  of  Illinois  and  northwestern  Indiana,  north  to  Manitoba 
and  south  into  Mexico.  In  winter  to  Southern  States  and  Mex- 
ico. The  eastern  form  occurs  in  parts  of  Illinois  and  southern 
Wisconsin,  but  the  range  limits  of  the  two  forms  are  not  fully 
determined  and  both  may  occur  in  Missouri,  the  one  in  the 
river  bottoms,  the  other  in  the  western  and  northern  prairie 
region.  There  is  also  a  possibility  of  meeting  with  intermediate 
forms  and  the  species  deserves  the  special  attention  of  collectors 
both  in  migration  and  breeding  time. 

Excepting  the  southeast  and  Ozark  region,  where  it  occurs 
only  in  migration,  the  House  Wren  is  a  common  summer  resident 
in  most  parts  of  Missouri  from  Ste.  Genevieve  Co.  in  the  east 
and  Jasper  Co.  in  the  west,  northward.  It  breeds  together  with 
Bewick's  Wren  in  the  Ozark  border  region  and  in  parts  of  east- 
ern north  Missouri,  but  is  the  only  House  Wren  of  the  prairie 
region  west  and  northwest.  The  arrival  of  the  first  singing 
males  at  their  breeding  stand  occurs  with  much  regularity  at 
St.  Louis  about  April  17,  at  Independence,  April  20,  and  at 
Keokuk,  April  24.  The  bulk  is  a  week  behind  the  first,  and 
the  last  days  of  April  in  central,  and  the  first  week  of  May  in 
northern  Missouri  is  the  height  of  the  season  for  singing  and 
mating,  as  well  as  for  transient,  House  Wrens.  At  this  time 
we  find  House  Wrens  in  company  with  northern  Warblers  in 
localities  where  they  never  breed.  When  between  Fort  Leav- 
enworth  and  the  northeast  corner  of  Missouri,  May  5  to  May 
9,  1843,  Audubon  wrote  in  his  journal:  "The  woods  were  filled 
with  House  Wrens."  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen,  too,  found  them  abun- 
dant in  that  region  in  May  1871.  Although  the  majority 
build  their  nests  now  in  proximity  to  human  habitations,  we 
still  find  them  occasionally  far  away  from  buildings  in  tree  holes, 
old  woodpecker  holes,  fence  posts,  etc.  They  are  very  med- 
dlesome with  other  birds'  nests  and  need  watching,  especially 
when  near  a  colony  of  Martins,  whose  very  existence  is  endan- 
gered by  the  innocent  looking  Jenny  Wren,  which  destroys  the 
eggs  in  the  absence  of  the  owners.  They  are  industrious  song- 
sters, keeping  it  up  all  summer,  beginning  again  after  a  short 
pause  before  their  departure  in  September.  Single  individuals 
are  seen  long  after  the  bulk  of  the  species  is  gone  (September 
25);  the  last  being  reported  from  Keokuk,  October  10,  1893; 


250  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

from  Jasper,  October  10,  1901 ;  from  Kansas  City,  October  8, 
1902;  from  New  Haven,  October  6,  1902;  Mt.  Carmel,  Oc- 
tober 6,  1885;  Independence,  October  6,  1901;  St.  Louis,  Octo- 
ber 6,  1905,  and  October  14,  1906. 

722.  OLBIORCHILUS  HIEMALIS  (Vieill.).  Winter  Wren. 

Sylvia  troglodytes.  Anorthura  troglodytes.  Troglodytes  hiemalis.  Trog- 
lodytes europeus.  Anorthura  hyemalis.  Anorthura  troglodytes  hyemalis. 
Troglodytes  parvulus  hyemalis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America;  north  to  Prince  Ed- 
ward Island,  Quebec,  Ontario  and  Manitoba.  Breeds  from 
Massachusetts,  New  York,  northern  Michigan  and  northern 
Wisconsin  northward,  wintering  from  the  northern  states 
to  the  Gulf,  chiefly  south  of  the  Ohio  River.  Has  been  found 
nesting  in  the  Alleghanies  south  to  North  Carolina,  though 
rarely. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  transient  visitant  eastward, 
rarer  westward.  (October  7,  1906,  Mr.  B.  M.  Stigall  of  Kansas 
City  found  it  common  in  Clay  Co.  and  Mr.  Chas.  W.  Tindall 
reports  it  common  at  Independence.  It  is  also  recorded  from 
Warrensburg,  January  8,  1905,  by  Mr.  A.  F.  Smithson,  and  by 
W.  E.  D.  Scott,  who  took  two  in  early  April,  1874.  As  a  winter 
resident  it  occurs  chiefly  south  of  the  Missouri  River  and  is  par- 
ticularly numerous  in  the  swampy  woods  of  the  southeast. 
In  north  Missouri  it  has  been  found  wintering  at  Mt.  Carmel, 
Audrain  Co,  December  14,  1884,  and  at  the  northern  border 
near  Keokuk,  February  17,  1899.  In  the  city  and  county  of  St. 
Louis  its  wintering  has  repeatedly  been  observed,  even  in  severe 
winters,  where  it  comes  to  the  wood  pile  on  the  farm  and  even 
to  the  yards  in  the  city.  It  begins  to  leave  its  southern  winter 
home  in  the  latter  part  of  March,  and  migration  through  the 
state  lasts  till  the  middle  of  April  in  the  southern,  and  to  the 
end  of  the  month  and  first  week  of  May  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  state.  In  fall  migration  the  first  appear  at  Keokuk  some- 
times as  early  as  the  middle  of  September  (September  16,  1900, 
September  17,  1893);  but  at  St.  Louis  not  before  the  first  of 
October.  Transients  are  oftenest  met  with  between  October 
5  and  20,  after  which  winter  numbers  only  remain.  At  Shannon 
Co.  in  southern  Missouri  the  species  was  first  noted  October 
15, 1904,  by  Mr.  W.  B.  Savage  of  Monteer  and  by  Mr.  E.  S.  Wood- 
ruff as  late  as  April  3,  1907,  near  Ink. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  251 

*724.  CISTOTHORUS    STELLARIS    (Licht.).      Short-billed    Marsh 
Wren. 

Troglodytes  brevirostris. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  southern  Canada, 
north  to  southern  New  Hampshire,  southern  Ontario,  southern 
Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  Manitoba,  and  Assiniboia; 
west  to  eastern  Nebraska,  Dakotas,  Kansas,  Utah.  Winters  in 
South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common  summer  resident  in  the  marshes 
of  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  flood  plains  and  locally  in  the 
prairie  region  north  and  west,  nesting  in  marsh  grass  on  nearly 
dry  ground  and  easily  overlo6ked  when  not  in  song  which  may 
be  mistaken  for  that  of  the  Dickcissel.  In  the  "Spartina" 
marshes  of  St.  Charles  Co.  the  globular  nests  are  placed  in  a 
bunch  of  that  grass  near  the  ground,  are  made  entirely  of  the 
blades  of  that  grass  and  are  hidden  by  drawing  together  the 
still  standing  blades  of  last  year's  growth.  It  reaches  its  breed- 
ing grounds  in  the  last  week  of  April  and  first  of  May  and  re- 
mains till  November  (October  29,  1893,  Keokuk).  In  migra- 
tion individuals  may  be  met  with  in  places  where  it  is  not  known 
to  breed  and  in  unexpected  locations,  as  in  shrubbery  by  the  way- 
side in  the  outskirts  of  St.  Louis.  A  rather  remarkable  occur- 
rence is  the  one  reported  by  Mr.  E.  Seymour  Woodruff,  May  14, 
1907,  from  Shannon  Co.,  a  mountainous  region  originally  covered 
by  an  unbroken  forest. 

*725d.  TELMATODYTES    PALUSTRIS    ILIACUS    Ridgw.      Prairie 
Marsh  Wren. 

Troglodytes  palustris.     Cistothorus  palustris.     Telmatodytes  palustris  (part). 

Geog.  Dist. — Mississippi  Valley  and  northward  to  Manitoba; 
east  to  western  Indiana.  In  winter  from  western  Florida  to 
Vera  Cruz  along  Gulf  Coast.  This  subspecies  has  only  lately 
been  separated  from  an  eastern  and  a  western  form,  not  to 
mention  three  more  subspecies  of  the  coast  regions  of  South 
Carolina,  Georgia  and  western  Florida,  and  the  Tule  Wren 
of  the  Pacific  coast. 

The  Prairie  Marsh  Wren,  generally  known  by  the  old  name 
Long-billed  Marsh  Wren,  is  a  locally  common  summer  resident 
in  lakes  and  sloughs  in  which  the  Cat-tail  family,  Typha  and 
Sparganium,  grows  in  abundance.  Its  globular  nests  are  placed 
in  these  reeds  above  water  and  are  made  of  the  dead  leave 


252  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

of  these  plants,  differing  greatly  from  the  neat  structures  of 
the  Short-billed  cousin,  made  of  narrower  grass  blades.  It 
begins  to  show  on  its  breeding  grounds  about  the  middle  of 
April  (April  11,  1903,  Kansas  City;  April  19,  1903;  Montgomery 
City),  but,  waiting  for  the  growth  of  its  favorite  reeds,  its 
numbers  increase  slowly  and  reach  full  force  only  a  month  later 
(May  11,  1897,  May  16,  1898  and  1899,  Keokuk).  When  over- 
taken by  storms  at  night  in  migration,  it  may  be  encountered 
in  places  far  from  water,  its  only  true  home.  Fall  migration 
begins  in  the  middle  of  September  and  lasts  through  October 
into  November,  the  last  ones  being  noted  as  late  as  November  12, 
1893,  November  16,  1897,  and  November  21,  1899,  in  Clark  Co. 
by  Mr.  Currier.  Like  that  of  the  Short-billed  Marsh  Wren 
the  capture  of  three  specimens  of  this  species,  May  9,  1907,  in 
Shannon  Co.  by  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff  deserves  particular  mention 
as  hardly  expected  in  that  high  and  wooded  region. 

Family  CERTHIIDAE.    Creepers. 

*726.  CERTHIA    FAMILIARIS    AMERICANA     (Bonap.).        Brown 
Creeper. 

Certhia  familiaris.     Certhia  americana.     Certhia  familiaris  rufa. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Newfoundland, 
Nova  Scotia,  New  Brunswick,  Quebec,  Ontario,  and  Manitoba; 
west  to  Dakotas,  eastern  Nebraska,  Indian  Territory  and  Texas. 
Breeds  from  Massachusetts,  New  York,  northern  Indiana, 
northern  Wisconsin,  eastern  Nebraska,  southeastern  South 
Dakota  northward;  also  along  higher  Alleghanies  from  North 
Carolina  northward  and  in  the  Cypress  swamps  of  the  lower 
Mississippi  Valley.  Winters  from  the  northern  United  States 
southward,  but  chiefly  south  of  the  Ohio  River  to  northern  Flor- 
ida and  central  Texas. 

In  Missouri  the  Creeper  is  a  common  transient  visitant  in  all 
parts  of  the  state  for  a  short  time  in  spring  and  fall ;  also  a  com- 
mon winter  resident  in  the  heavily  wooded  southeast,  but  of 
less  regular  occurrence  in  winter  in  other  parts  of  the  state, 
especially  in  the  northern,  where  it  is  rather  rare  except  in  the 
timber  of  river  bottoms.  In  migration  it  occurs  everywhere, 
even  in  cities,  but  does  not  stay  long  in  one  place  seeming  to 
be  in  haste  to  proceed  toward  its  destination.  In  spring  the  first 
stir  northward  is  noticeable  about  March  10,  but  little  progress 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  253 

is  made  until  the  last  week  of  the  month  or  early  in  April,  when 
migration  on  a  large  scale  takes  place  in  central  Missouri,  reach- 
ing the  northern  border  about  the  middle  of  April.  Its  progress 
depends  much  on  the  weather;  if  favorable,  the  last  has  passed 
the  region  of  St.  Louis  by  the  10th,  but  if  windy  and  cold,  a  not 
unfrequent  occurrence  in  early  April,  it  may  still  be  present 
at  the  beginning  of  the  third  week,  exceptionally  even  later, 
as  April  26,  1885.  At  Keokuk  most  of  "lasts"  reported  are 
from  April  16  to  25.  In  the  abnormally  cold  spring  of  1907  a 
Creeper  was  seen  and  heard  to  sing  by  Mr.  Roger  N.  Baldwin 
and  the  writer  at  St.  Louis  as  late  as  May  19.  In  fall  migration 
the  first  Creepers  reach  Missouri  from  the  north  in  the  fourth 
week  of  September  (September  21, 1884,  Mt.  Carmel;  September 
24,  1887,  St.  Louis);  but  they  do  not  become  common  until 
October,  when  generally  in  the  second  week  of  that  month  the 
bulk  passes  through  the  state.  After  the  middle  of  November 
winter  numbers  only  are  left,  remaining  not  only  in  mild  but  also 
in  severe  winters  as  that  of  1904-1905  (January  23,  1905,  St. 
Louis;  January  1, 1905,  Warrensburg).  That  the  Brown  Creep- 
er is  a  breeder  in  the  Bald  Cypress  (Taxodium)  swamps  of  the 
south  was  unknown  until  a  nest  with  eggs  was  found  by  the  writer 
at  Cotton  Plant,  Dunklin  Co.,  June  2,  1894,  in  the  overflow  of 
the  Little  River  (Auk  vol.  12,  1895,  p.  350).  Subsequent  visits 
to  the  southeast  showed  that  the  species  is  a  regular  inhabitant 
of  the  region,  wherever  old  Cypress  trees  are  found,  under  the 
loose  bark  of  which  the  nests  are  placed  (May  16,  1898,  three 
nests  were  found  in  Seneca  slough,  Dunklin  Co.) .  On  its  breeding 
ground  in  the  swamp  the  Creeper  is  one  of  the  most  difficult 
birds  to  detect,  as  it  frequents  the  higher  branches  of  trees  and 
remains  so  well  hidden  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  see  it, 
even  while  it  gives  its  shrill  song  repeatedly.  This  resembles 
at  a  distance  some  notes  of  the  Carolina  Chickadee,  for  which  it 
may  be  mistaken  by  one  who  does  not  suspect  the  presence  of 
the  Creeper. 

Family  SITTIDAE.    Nuthatches. 
*727.  SITTA  CAROLINENSIS  Lath.    White-breasted  Nuthatch. 

White-bellied  or  Carolina  Nuthatch. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Newfoundland, 
Anticosti  and  Keewatin ;  west  to  eastern  edge  of  the  Great  Plains, 
replaced  westward  by  the  subspecies  nelsoni,  the  Rocky  Mountain 


254  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Nuthatch.  Breeds  from  Georgia  and  the  Gulf  States  (except 
coast  belt)  northward.  Non-migratory  except  in  the  more 
northern  portions  of  its  range. 

In  Missouri  a  common  resident  inhabiting  the  woods  in  the 
breeding  season  and  visiting  orchards,  gardens,  cornfields  and 
farms  in  winter  often  in  company  with  Chickadees,  Tufted 
Tits,  Downies  and  others.  It  is  generally  distributed  all  over 
the  state,  but  appears  scarce  during  nesting  time  (which  begins 
in  the  latter  part  of  March  in  the  southern  and  the  middle  of' 
April  in  the  northern  portion)  on  account  of  retiring  habits  in 
sharp  contrast  to  its  conspicuousness  at  the  time  of  mating. 

728.  SITTA  CANADENSIS  Linn.     Red-breasted  Nuthatch. 
Sitta  varia.     Red-bellied  or  Canada  Nuthatch. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America  at  large,  breeding  in  the  higher 
Alleghanies,  the  Rocky  Mountains,  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and 
from  New  England,  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  northern  Indiana, 
northern  Illinois,  central  Iowa,  northward  to  Prince  Edward 
Island,  Keewatin  and  the  Yukon  district.  In  winter  south  to 
the  Gulf  states,  New  Mexico  and  Arizona,  probably  northern 
Mexico. 

In  Missouri  an  irregularly  common  transient  visitant,  especially 
irregular  in  fall  when  it  has  been  recorded  at  St.  Louis  all  the  way 
from  September  4  to  January  15.  More  regular  in  spring, 
when  it  is  more  or  less  common  from  April  25  to  May  15  (1904). 
Some  may  spend  the  whole  winter  in  the  pine  region  of  theOzarks, 
but  at  St.  Louis  the  species  has  never  been  seen  between  January 
15  and  April  15,  nor  is  there  any  other  record  from  the  state  at 
hand. 

Since  the  above  was  written  Mr.  E.  Seymour  Woodruff 
found  the  species  March  11,  14,  24,  30, 1907,  in  the  pine  region  of 
Shannon  Co.,  Mo.,  and  occasionally  up  to  April  27,  when  the  last 
was  seen,  except  one  each  day,  May  1,  9  and  12.  Here  may  also 
be  added  another  unusually  late  record  May  21,  1907,  at  St. 
Louis,  but  the  extraordinary  cold  spring  shifted  all  dates  out 
of  recognition. 

*729.  SITTA  PUSILLA  Lath.    Brown-headed  Nuthatch. 

Geog.  Dist. — Pine  region  of  southern  United  States  from  Mary- 
land to  eastern  Texas.  Casually  northward  to  St.  Louis,  Ohio, 
Michigan,  New  York  and  the  Bahamas. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  255 

This  species  was.  at  first  regarded  as  a  rare  straggler  after  being 
found  by  the  writer  May  6, 1878,  in  a  private  park  in  the  southern 
part  of  St.  Louis  and  reported  in  Nutt.  Bull.  vol.  5,  p.  191. 
It  was  always  suspected  to  be  a  regular  resident  in  the  pine  region 
of  southern  Missouri,  but  proof  was  wanting  until  Mr.  E.  Sey- 
mour Woodruff  took  a  pair  March  19,  1907,  near  Ink,  Shannon 
Co.,  Mo. 

Family  PARIDAE.    Titmice. 
*731.  BAEOLOPHUS  BICOLOR  (Linn.).    Tufted  Titmouse. 

Parus  bicolor.     Lophophanes  tricolor.    Tufted  Tit.     Crested  Tit. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States,  north  to  New  Jersey, 
Ohio,  Indiana,  northern  Illinois,  southern  Iowa  and  north- 
eastern Nebraska :  irregularly  farther  north  to  Minnesota  etc. ; 
west  to  the  Great  Plains  (Nebraska  to  Texas).  South  to 
Gulf  coast  from  central  Florida  to  central  Texas.  Non- 
migratory,  but  wandering  about  during  fall  and  winter  in 
search  of  food,  thus  appearing  in  places  not  inhabited  in 
breeding  time. 

In  Missouri  a  common  and  generally  distributed  resident, 
much  more  numerous  southeast  than  northwest,  most  abundant 
in  the  high  trees  of  the  river  bottoms,  but  inhabiting  also  the 
dry  hills  of  the  Ozarks  and  the  wood  patches  in  the  prairie  region. 
Removal  of  old  and  decaying  trees  has  driven  it  from  many  lo- 
calities by  depriving  it  of  its  accustomed  nesting  sites,  natural 
cavities  in  trees  or  deserted  woodpecker  holes.  Orchards  and 
parks  should  be  provided  with  bird  boxes  fit  for  its  use  in  order 
to  attract  and  retain  this  useful  bird,  one  of  the  most  efficient 
insect-destroyers,  killing  millions  of  noxious  insects  in  the  egg 
state  all  the  year  round. 

*735.  PARUS  ATRICAPILLUS  Linn.    Chickadee. 

Parus  palustris.     Penthestes  atricapillus  atricapUlus.     Black-capped  Chick- 
adee. 

Geog.  Dist. — Northeastern  United  States  and  southeastern 
British  Provinces;  north  to  Newfoundland,  southern  Labrador, 
Quebec,  Ontario  and  southern  Keewatin;  south  to  lat.  40°  in 
the  Eastern  States  and  through  the  prairie  region  of  northern 
and  western  Missouri  to  eastern  Kansas;  also  in  Alleghanies  to 
North  Carolina.  Partly  migratory,  wandering  to  localities  far 
from  breeding  ground  in  search  of  food,  southward  in  fall,  return- 


256  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

ing  in  early  spring,  thus  appearing  in  the  role  of  a  migrant  in  the 
region  immediately  south  of  its  breeding  range. 

The  Black-capped  Chickadee  is  a  common  resident  north  and 
west  of  the  Ozark  border  region,  being  replaced  south  and  east- 
ward by  the  Carolina  Chickadee,  and  blending  into  the  long- 
tailed  subspecies,  or  a  form  which  connects  the  two  subspecies, 
in  the  western  and  northwestern  counties.  In  St.  Louis  Co., 
where  the  Carolina  Chickadee  is  the  prevalent  form  or  species, 
the  Black-capped  appears  regularly  and  numerously  in  family 
troops  in  October  and  again  in  March,  some  remaining  with 
us,  but  the  majority  spending  the  winter  farther  south. 
In  the  northern  part  of  St.  Louis  Co.,  in  the  flood  plain  of  the 
Missouri  River  about  Creve  Coeur  Lake,  the  Black-cap  and  the 
Carolina  Chickadee  have  both  been  found  breeding,  but  at 
St.  Louis  and  southward  the  Carolina  only  is  seen  in  summer. 

*735a.  PARUS  ATRICAPILLUS  SEPTENTRIONALIS  (Harris).    Long- 
tailed  Chickadee. 

Parus  septentrionalis.    Pat  us  atricapillus  (in  part).    Penthestes  atricapillus 
septentrionalis . 

Geog.  Dist. — Great  Plains  and  Rocky  Mountain  districts 
of  central  North  America  from  New  Mexico  and  Kansas  to  Alaska 
and  Mackenzie;  east  to  eastern  Kansas,  Iowa,  eastern  South 
Dakota,  western  Minnesota,  Manitoba  and  southwestern  Kee- 
watin;  west  to  Salt  Lake. 

Dr.  Hoy  mentions  the  Long-tailed  Chickadee  among  the  birds 
observed  by  him  in  western  Missouri  in  1854,  and  W.  E.  D. 
Scott  (Nutt.  Bull.,  vol.  4,  p.  140),  who  took  a  large  series  of 
Chickadees  in  Johnson  Co.  in  1874,  found  that  many  approached 
the  subspecies,  septentrionalis.  in  having  the  secondaries  and 
lateral  tail  feathers  conspicuously  edged  with  white.  Mr.  B. 
F.  Bush  of  Courtney,  Jackson  Co.,  writes  me:  "The  Long- 
tailed  Ch.  occurs  here  much  of  the  time  and  undoubtedly  breeds." 
Mr.  H.  Nehrling  also  reports  this  form  as  occurring,  though 
rarely,  together  with  atricap.  and  carolinensis  at  Pierce  City, 
Lawrence  Co.  In  Atchison  Co.  (Langdon,  Rockport  etc.)  this 
was  the  only  form  found  by  the  writer  in  June,  1906. 

*736.  PARUS  CAROLINENSIS  Aud.    Carolina  Chickadee. 

Parus  atricapillus  carolinensis.     Penthestes  carolinensis. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  north  to  southern  New 
Jersey,  southern  Pennsylvania,  southern  Ohio,  southern  Indiana, 


\Vidmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri,  257 

central  Illinois,  central  Missouri.  South  to  northern  and 
western  Florida  and  along  Gulf  coast  to  Louisiana,  replaced 
westward  by  the  subspecies  agilis.  Non-migratory. 

In  Missouri  a  common  resident  of  the  Ozark  and  Ozark  border 
region  and  the  southeast,  apparently  running  in  the  extreme 
southwest  (McDonald  Co.)  into  the  subspecies  agilis,  which  is 
slightly  larger  with  clearer  gray  on  upper  parts. 

[736a.  PARUS  CAROLINENSIS  AGILIS  Senn.    Plumbeous  Chick- 
adee.] 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  and  central  Texas,  Indian  Territory 
and  Oklahoma. 

This  subspecies  was  noticed,  though  not  collected,  by  the 
writer  at  Noel,  McDonald  Co.,  June  1905,  and  collectors  should 
try  to  verify  the  observation  when  collecting  in  that  region. 


Family  SYLVIIDAE.     Kinglets,  Gnatcatchers. 
748.  REGULUS  SATRAP  A  Licht.    Golden-crowned  Kinglet. 

Regvlus  cristatus.     Sylvia  regvlus.     Regulus  tricolor.     Regidus  reguloides. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America  east  of  Rocky  Mountains ;  north 
to  Cape  Breton  Island  and  Prince  Edward  Island,  Labrador, 
Keewatin  and  westward  to  Rocky  Mountains ;  replaced  in  western 
North  America  by  the  subspecies  olivaceus.  Breeds  from 
Massachusetts,  central  New  York,  northern  Michigan  north- 
ward; also  along  Alleghany  Mountains  to  North  Carolina. 
Winters  from  the  northern  states  southward  to  northern  Florida 
and  along  Gulf  coast  to  south  central  Texas,  but  chiefly  south 
of  the  Ohio  River. 

In  southern  Missouri  a  fairly  common  winter  resident,  rather 
rare  in  winter  in  the  northern  and  western  part  of  the  state 
(Warrensburg,  January  17,  1905,  A.  F.  Smithson).  As  a  tran- 
sient visitant  common  for  a  short  time  in  the  whole  state,  es- 
pecially eastward.  Migration  begins  in  favorable  weather 
by  the  middle  of  March  (March  12,  1887,  St.  Louis)  and  the  first 
reach  the  northern  border  sometimes  in  March  (March  20,  1894, 
March  26, 1893,  Keokuk)  but  usually  in  the  second  week  of  April, 
when  the  bulk  of  the  species  is  present  at  St.  Louis.  The 
weather  permitting,  the  species  passes  rapidly  on  and  in  most 
years  none  are  seen  in  the  state  after  the  middle  of  April,  but 


258  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

exceptionally  some  remain  to  near  the  end  of  the  month  (April 
29,  1904,  and  April  22,  1888,  St.  Louis).  In  fall  migration  fore- 
runners appear  sometimes  in  September  (September  24,  1901, 
Keokuk;  September  29,  St.  Louis),  but  usually  not  before 
early  in  October,  sometimes  even  in  the  second  week  of  that 
month.  At  St.  Louis  the  bulk  is  present  between  the  tenth 
and  twentieth  of  October,  when  troops  of  12  or  more  are  not 
very  rare.  The  last  transients  are  seen  near  the  end  of  the 
month,  seldom  lingering  into  the  first  week  of  November 
(November  4  and  6,  1894,  Keokuk). 

749.  REGULUS  CALENDULA  (Linn.).     Ruby-crowned  Kinglet. 

Sylvia  calendula.     Regulus  calendulus. 

Geog.  Dist. — North  America,  north  to  the  limits  of  tree  growth, 
to  Prince  Edward  Island,  Labrador,  Keewatin,  Mackenzie, 
Yukon  and  Alaska.  Breeds  from  Quebec,  Mackinac  Island 
and  high  mountains  of  New  Mexico  and  Arizona  and  from  north- 
ern California  northward  and  winters  entirely  across  United 
States  and  over  whole  of  Mexico  to  Guatemala,  chiefly  from 
the  Ohio  River  and  southeastern  Missouri  southward  and 
throughout  California. 

In  Missouri  a  common  and  generally  distributed  transient 
visitant,  and  a  winter  resident  southward.  Occasionally  one 
is  seen  in  midwinter  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis,  but  its  real 
winter  range  begins  in  the  heavy  forests  of  the  southeast,  where 
the  species  is  quite  common  throughout  winter.  The  first 
Ruby-crowns  arrive  from  the  south  soon  after  the  middle  of 
March  (March  19, 1907,  Shannon  Co.,  Woodruff;  March  20, 1886, 
St.  Louis;  March  20,  1898,  Independence;  March  23,  1889, 
Laclede,  Linn  Co.;  March  24,  1893,  Keokuk)  and  the  bulk  is 
present  between  April  4  and  20.  The  " lasts"  are  usually  seen, 
in  all  parts  of  the  state,  early  in  May,  but  loiterers  are  some- 
times met  with  in  the  second  week  of  that  month  (May  9, 1882, 
and  May  13,  1907,  St.  Louis;  May  10,  1905,  Shannon  Co., 
Savage;  May  14,  1905,  LaGrange,  Johnson;  May  15,  1898, 
Keokuk,  Currier).  In  fall  the  first  come  to  the  state  from  the 
north  about  the  middle  of  September  (September  14,  1901, 
Jasper  Co.;  September  16,  1887,  St.  Louis),  but  it  is  always  rare 
until  the  last  week  of  the  month,  when  it  appears  more  regularly. 
In  some  years  it  has  not  been  seen  at  St.  Louis  before  October 
5,  when  the  bulk  is  generally  present  in  all  parts  of  Missouri, 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  259 

remaining  until  October  15,  after  which  date  the  species  becomes 
scarce,  and  the  last  disappear  between  October  20  and  25 
(October  26,  1889,  Independence;  October  25,  1894,  Keokuk). 

*751.  POLIOPTILA  CAERULEA  (Linn.).    Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher. 

Muscicapa  caerulea.     Culicivora  caendea. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  southern  Ontario, 
north  to  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  southern  Michigan,  southern 
Wisconsin,  and  eastern  Nebraska.  Breeds  from  Florida  and 
southern  Texas  northward  and  winters  from  the  Gulf  States, 
Bahamas,  Cuba  and  eastern  Mexico  to  Yucatan  and  Guate- 
mala. 

In  Missouri  a  summer  resident,  less  common  in  the  prairie 
region,  but  common  throughout  the  Ozarks  and  Ozark  border 
region  as  well  as  in  the  swamps  of  the  southeast  and  in  the  bluffs 
and  bottoms  along  rivers.  It  begins  to  arrive  in  the  southeast, 
sometimes  also  in  central  Missouri,  in  the  latter  part  of  March 
(March  18,  1904,  Iberia,  Miller  Co.;  March  25,  1907,  St.  Louis). 
On  account  of  the  very  uncertain  weather  in  early  April  the  first 
appearance  at  its  breeding  stands  varies  considerably  and  its 
ranks  fill  up  slowly.  In  some  years  it  has  not  been  seen  at  St. 
Louis  before  the  end  of  the  second  week  in  April,  when,  as  a  rule 
the  bulk  is  due  in  central  Missouri.  The  earliest  date  at  our 
northern  border  is  April  12,  1903,  and  the  latest  of  " firsts" 
April  29, 1894 ;  and  the  same  variations  occur  at  every  record- 
station  (Mt.  Carmel,  April  5,  1885,  and  April  24,  1886).  In  fall 
the  species  withdraws  from  breeding  haunts  comparatively  early, 
as  it  is  quite  rare  after  the  first  week  of  September,  though  occa- 
sionally loiterers  have  been  noted  much  later,  as  September 
25,  1885,  at  St.  Louis;  September  30,  1903,  at  New  Haven; 
October  1,  1904,  at  Monteer,  Shannon  Co. 

Family  TURDIDAE.    Thrushes,  Bluebirds,  etc. 

Subfamily  Turdinae.     Thrushes. 
*755.  HYLOCICHLA  MUSTELINA  (Gmel.).    Wood  Thrush. 

T urdus  mustelinus.     Turdus  melodus. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  Ontario;  north  to 
Massachusetts,  southern  Michigan,  central  Wisconsin  and  Minne- 
sota; west  to  eastern  Nebraska,  eastern  Kansas  and  Texas. 


260  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

Breeds  from  Florida,  Louisiana,  Arkansas  and  Indian  Territory 
northward.     Winters  in  Cuba  and  Guatemala. 

In  Missouri  a  common  and  generally  distributed  summer 
resident  in  all  parts  of  the  state  high  and  low,  north  and  south, 
east  and  west.  Formerly  a  true  woodland  species  it  has  accus- 
tomed itself  to  the  new  conditions  and  feels  at  home  wherever 
there  are  trees,  even  in  cities,  often  building  its  nest  within  a  few 
yards  of  occupied  dwellings.  At  the  southern  border,  in  Dunklin 
Co.,  the  first  Wood-Thrush  was  heard  to  sing  as  early  as  April  3. 
At  St.  Louis  and  in  central  Missouri  generally,  also  in  the  higher 
parts  of  southern  Missouri,  the  first  are  heard  to  sing  between 
April  18  and  24,  at  the  northern  border  between  April  25  and 
30.  Exceptions  are  rare,  and  the  bulk  is  usually  present  in  the 
last  days  of  April  southward  and  the  first  week  in  May  northward, 
when  transient  individuals  swell  their  numbers  and  the  song  of 
the  Wood-Thrush  is  heard  everywhere.  Migrants  from  the  north 
are  with  us  during  the  first  half  of  September,  but  the  bulk  of 
the  species  leaves  central  Missouri  about  the  middle  of  the  month 
and  nearly  all  are  gone  before  the  end  of  the  month,  except  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  state,  where  some  linger  through  the 
first  decade  of  October  (St.  Louis,  October  7, 1905;  New  Haven, 
October  9,  1903;  Jasper,  October  10,  1902;  Monteer,  October 
10,  1904). 

756.  HYLOCICHLA  FUSCESCENS  (Steph.).    Wilson's  Thrush. 

T urdus  fuscescens.     Turdus  wilsonii.     Veery.     Tawny  Thrush. 

756a.  HYLOCICHLA    FUSCESCENS    SALICICOLA    Ridgw.    Willow 
Thrush. 

Turdus  fuscescens  salicicolus. 

Geog.  Dist. — The  breeding  range  of  the  two  subspecies  has 
not  yet  been  clearly  defined.  While  the  Wilson's  breeds  in 
eastern  North  America  from  southern  Alleghenies  and  about 
40°  lat.  northward  to  Nova  Scotia  and  Ontario,  the  Willow 
Thrush's  summer  home  is  not  only  in  the  Rocky  Mountains 
from  New  Mexico  and  Arizona  north  to  British  Columbia,  but 
reaches  eastward  through  Manitoba  and  northwestern  Ontario , 
where  they  are  slightly  intermediate,  to  Newfoundland. 

This  peculiar  overlapping  of  the  breeding  areas  must  produce 
a  crossing  of  migration  routes,  which  makes  it  at  present  diffi- 
cult to  say  to  which  of  the  two  forms  the  majority  of  tran- 
sients belong  that  regularly  pass  through  our  state  in  spring 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  261 

and  fall.  That  both  forms  occur  is  certain,  as  there  is  one  speci- 
men of  salicicola  taken  at  Charleston,  Mo.,  May  9,  1879,  in  the 
Bryant  collection  at  Cambridge,  Mass.,  and  others  have  been 
taken  in  eastern  as  well  as  western  Iowa  and  in  northern  Ill- 
inois. Without  having  the  bird  in  hand  it  is  difficult,  though 
not  impossible,  to  tell  the  subspecies,  and  it  is  for  this  reason 
that  it  will  be  the  work  of  future  collectors  in  our  state  to  de- 
fine their  status.  Mr.  Chas.  K.  Wort  hen  says  salicicola  is  the 
commoner  one  at  Warsaw,  111. 

In  Missouri  a  regular,  but  nowhere  numerous,  transient 
visitant,  scattered  over  the  entire  state  and  through  a  whole 
month  in  spring  and  in  fall,  from  April  20  to  May  24,  and  from 
September  4  to  October  10,  but  most  common  from  May  10 
to  17  and  from  about  September  9  to  12  (Earliest  April  20, 
1902,  Jasper;  latest  October  10,  1904,  Monteer;  both  reported 
by  W.  G.  Savage). 

757.  HYLOCICHLA  ALICIAE  (Baird).    Gray-cheeked  Thrush. 

Turdus  aliciae.    Turdus  swainsoni  aliciae.    Turdus  ustulatus  aliciae.    Alice's 
Thrush. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America  to  the  Arctic  coast, 
Alaska  and  eastern  Siberia.  Breeds  far  north  and  migrates 
through  eastern  United  States,  chiefly  the  Mississippi  Valley, 
to  Costa  Rica. 

In  Missouri  one  of  our  common  and  most  regular  transient 
visitants  spring  and  fall,  less  common  westward.  The  van- 
guard arrives  in  southern  Missouri  in  the  last  week  of  April; 
at  St.  Louis  about  the  first  of  May,  and  the  bulk  is  present 
during  the  second  and  third  week  of  May;  "lasts"  are  generally 
recorded  in  the  fourth  week,  but  individuals  have  been  found 
lingering  into  June,  even  in  the  southeastern  corner  of  the  state, 
where  the  ripening  of  the  Mulberries,  of  which  they  are  very 
fond,  accounts  for  the  delay.  They  are  generally  in  company 
with  Olive-backed  Thrushes  and  with  them  visit  in  spring  all 
kinds  of  places,  coming  even  into  gardens  in  towns  and  on  the 
lawns  in  cities.  They  are  often  heard  to  sing  at  half  voice,  are 
very  confiding  and  remain  at  the  same  place  several  days,  in 
cool  weather  a  week  or  more.  In  fall  they  frequent  other  localities, 
chiefly  the  timber  in  the  bottomlands,  where  they  find  different 
kinds  of  berries  and  thick  shelter  for  roosts.  They  are  sometimes 
found  quite  early  in  September,  but  the  bulk  is  present  in  the 


262  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

third  and  fourth  weeks  of  the  month,  and  the  last  do  not  leave 
our  most  southern  woods  before  the  middle  of  October.  While 
they  are  musical  in  spring,  they  are  silent  in  fall  and  therefore 
easily  overlooked,  but  may  be  found  wherever  there  are  plenty 
of  wild  grapes,  hackberry,  sour  gum,  and  other  wild  fruit. 

[757a.  HYLOCICHLA    ALICIAE     BICKNELLI    Ridgw.       Bicknell's 
Thrush.] 

Turdus  aliciae  bicknelli. 

Geog.  Dist. — Breeds  in  mountainous  parts  of  northeastern 
states  and  Nova  Scotia. 

Has  been  taken  several  times  at  Warsaw,  111.,  by  Mr.  Chas. 
K.  Worthen;  the  first  time,  May  24,  1884,  and  identification 
verified  by  Mr.  R.  Ridgway  himself  (Natural  History  Survey 
of  Illinois,  vol.  1,  page  59).  Mr.  Worthen  thinks  that  it  will 
undoubtedly  be  found  in  company  with  Gray-cheeked  Thrushes 
on  wooded  islands  in  the  Mississippi  while  migrating  in  April 
and  May. 

758a.  HYLOCICHLA  USTULATA  SWAINSONII  (Cab.).    Olive-backed 
Thrush. 
Turdus  swainsonii.     Turdus  ustulatus  swainsonii.     Swainson's  Thrush. 

Geog.  Dist. — Not  considering  the  lately  differentiated  sub- 
species oedica  and  almae  the  Swainson's  Thrush  ranges  over 
Eastern  North  America  and  westward  to  the  upper  Columbia 
River,  straggling  to  the  Pacific  coast  into  the  domain  of  the  other 
subspecies  ustidata.  Breeds  from  the  mountainous  parts  of 
the  eastern  states  and  from  Mackinac  Island  north  to  Newfound- 
land, Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  Hudson  Bay  and  through  the  Sas- 
katchewan region  to  Mackenzie  and  westward  to  British  Colum- 
bia, rarely  to  Alaska.  In  winter  to  Cuba,  and  through  Central 
America  to  Colombia,  Ecuador  and  Peru. 

In  Missouri  a  common  and  most  regular  transient  visitant 
spring  and  fall,  west  as  well  as  east.  In  some  springs  the  first 
are  seen  in  southern  Missouri  soon  after  the  middle  of  April,  but 
the  cold  and  windy  weather  which  we  often  have  about  this  time 
keeps  them  from  advancing  farther  until  the  last  days  of  the 
month,  when  they  usually  appear  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis 
(April  26,  1883,  1884).  The  bulk  is  always  present  between 
May  3  and  15,  after  which  their  numbers  decrease  more  or  less 
rapidly  according  to  the  weather,  the  last  being  noted  in  the 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  263 

fourth  week  of  the  month,  latest  May  29,  1882,  June  3,  1907, 
St.  Louis.  In  Shannon  Co.,  where  Mr.  Savage  found  them 
extremely  abundant,  they  occurred  from  April  22  to  May  16, 
1904,  and  from  April  30  to  May  10,  1905.  At  Keokuk  Mr.  Cur- 
rier found  them  commonly  about  the  middle  of  May  (May  6, 
1892  to  May  17,  1893).  At  Grandin,  Carter  Co.,  Mr.  E.  S. 
Woodruff  found  it  as  late  as  May  25,  1907.  Fall  migration  ex- 
tends from  September  5  to  October  3,  the  bulk  being  present 
about  September  20. 

759b.  HYLOCICHLA  GUTTATA  PALLASII  (Cab.).    Hermit  Thrush. 

Turdus  solitarius.     Turdus  minor.     Turdus  pallasii.     Turdus  aonalaschkae 
pallasii.     Hylocichla  undLascae  pallasii. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America,  north  to  Newfound- 
land, Anticosti  and  the  north  shore  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
southern  Ungava  and  west  of  Hudson  Bay  to  Mackenzie 
and  Yukon;  west  to  British  Columbia.  Breeds  from  the 
mountainous  parts  of  the  eastern  United  States  and  from 
northern  Michigan  and  northern  Minnesota  northward.  Win- 
ters from  southern  New  Jersey  and  the  Ohio  River  southward 
to  the  Gulf  coast. 

In  Missouri  a  fairly  common,  and  generally  distributed  tran- 
sient visitant,  and  a  winter  resident  in  the  heavily  wooded 
southeast.  In  its  migration  it  reaches  St.  Louis  sometimes  in 
March  (March  25,  1907;  March  30,  1887;  March  31,  1905), 
but  more  commonly  early  in  April,  and  the  bulk  is  usually  present 
in  the  second  and  third  week  of  the  month.  "  Lasts"  are  noted 
in  the  fourth  week,  latest  April  27,  1887,  and  May  1,  1907. 
Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff  found  the  Hermit  Thrush  in  Shannon  Co. 
March  26  to  April  27,  1907.  Mr.  Currier's  earliest  date  at  Keo- 
kuk is  April  10, 1898;  his  last  April  28,  1893.  In  fall  it  reaches 
Missouri  early  in  October  (October  5,  1885,  St.  Louis;  October 
5,  1904,  Shannon  Co.,  Savage);  the  bulk  is  present  in  the  second 
and  third  week,  and  the  last  at  St  Louis,  October  25.  It  comes 
back  to  the  same  resting  places  year  after  year,  remains  a  few 
days,  sometimes  a  whole  week,  and  goes  on.  It  is  seldom  heard 
to  sing  in  transit,  but  may  be  heard  in  its  winter  home,  where  it 
frequents  the  same  swampy  ground  as  the  Winter  Wren  adjoining 
the  drier  haunts  of  the  Fox,  White-throated  and  other  sparrows. 
(The  Peninsula  of  Missouri  as  a  Winter  Home  for  Birds,  by 
0.  Widmann,  Auk,  1896,  vol.  13,  p.  216). 


264  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

*761.  MERULA  MIGRATORIA  (Linn.).   American  Robin. 

T urdus  migratorius.     Robin.     Robin  Redbreast. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  North  America  from  eastern  Mexico  to 
Alaska;  west  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  where  it  runs  into  the 
western  subspecies  propinqua.  Breeds  from  Virginia  and 
Arkansas  northward  to  the  Arctic  coast;  winters  from  southern 
New  England,  southern  Indiana,  southern  Illinois,  central 
Missouri  and  southeastern  Nebraska  southward  to  the  Gulf; 
in  mild  winters  some  have  wintered  as  far  north  as  South  Dakota, 
Minnesota,  Michigan  and  southern  Ontario. 

In  Missouri  the  Robin  is  an  abundant  migrant  and  a  very 
common  summer  resident  in  all  parts  of  the  state,  south  as  well 
as  north,  wherever  there  are  farms,  towns  and  cities,  which  it 
now  prefers  to  the  wilds  during  nesting  time,  but  retreating  to 
them  in  fall  and  winter.  Some  spend  the  whole  winter, 
even  severe  winters,  in  the  lower  Missouri  River  valley  and  along 
the  Mississippi  River  from  the  Illinois  River  southward,  but  the 
largest  number  is  found  in  the  swamps  of  the  southeast,  where 
many  more  would  remain  if  they  were  not  constantly  disturbed 
by  the  host  of  duck  hunters  who  repair  to  those  regions.  When 
the  weather  shows  the  first  signs  of  awakening  spring,  sometimes 
at  the  end  of  January,  oftener  about  the  middle  of  February, 
the  first  troops  of  north-bound  Robins  appear  in  central,  and  a 
week  or  two  later,  in  northern  Missouri.  Early  in  March  the 
first  males  begin  to  sing  in  their  old  haunts,  are  soon  joined  by 
their  mates,  and  bravely  endure  weeks  of  cold  weather  with  ice, 
sleet  and  snow  or  chilling  rains  and  high  winds.  Large  flocks  of 
transient  Robins  are  also  with  us  during  the  entire  month  of 
March  and  to  the  latter  part  of  April,  when  in  some  years  the 
young  of  our  own  birds  are  almost  able  to  leave  the  nest  (First 
egg,  April  5,  1903,  Montgomery  City,  Parker;  young  leave  nest 
May  1,  1886,  Fayette,  Kilpatrick).  When  the  last  broods  are 
able  to  fly  well,  about  the  first  of  August,  Robins  form  small 
family  troops,  several  of  which  join  to  spend  the  nights  together 
in  a  common  roost.  When  migration  time  comes  in  October 
larger  roosts  are  formed,  in  which  many  thousands  spend  the 
nights  together  like  Blackbirds  in  the  high  grasses  of  the  marshes 
(A  Winter  Robin  Roost  in  Missouri,  by  0.  Widmann,  Auk, 
vol.  12,  1895,  page  1).  By  the  first  of  November  the  bulk  of 
transient  Robins  has  left  north  and  central  Missouri,  but  many 
linger  in  the  bottoms  of  our  large  rivers  to  the  middle  and  often 
to  the  end  of  the  month,  even  in  northern  portions  of  the  state. 


Widmann — A  Preliminary  Catalog  of  the  Birds  of  Missouri.  265 

The  immense  stretches  of  wild  rice  in  the  swamps  of  the  south- 
east offer  a  safe  place  for  roosts  at  this  time  of  the  year  and  flocks 
of  many  thousands  have  been  seen  to  assemble  there.  They 
are  great  rovers,  leave  the  roosts  at  daybreak  and  do  not  return 
before  evening,  spreading  during  the  day  over  a  large  territory 
in  search  of  food. 


*766.  SIALIA  SIALIS  (Linn.).    Bluebird. 

Sylvia  sialis.     Ampelis  sialis.     Sialia  wilsonii. 

Geog.  Dist. — Eastern  United  States  and  southern  Canada, 
north  to  Newfoundland,  Nova  Scotia,  New  Brunswick,  Quebec, 
Ontario  and  Manitoba;  west  to  base  of  Rocky  Mountains. 
Breeds  throughout  its  range  and  winters  chiefly  in  the  Southern 
States,  though  in  small  numbers  from  southern  New  England, 
Indiana  and  central  Missouri  southward. 

In  Missouri  a  common  summer  resident  in  all  parts  of  the  state 
from  March  till  October  and  a  fairly  common  winter  resident 
in  the  southeast,  where  it  occurs  in  small  troops,  which  seek 
the  woods  for  shelter  and  the  fields  and  clearings  for  food.  Small 
parties  also  winter  from  St.  Louis  southward,  retiring  to  the 
bottoms,  where  they  spend  the  nights  in  woodpecker  holes, 
often  several  together  in  one  hole,  visiting  their  summer  haunts 
only  in  warm  weather  for  a  short  time  on  spring-like  mornings, 
but  may  thus  be  seen  and  heard  even  at  Christmas  and  New 
Year's  time.  In  mild  winters  a  few  have  been  found  wintering 
in  New  Haven,  Fayette,  Glasgow,  Warrensburg  and  even  at 
Laclede  in  Linn  Co.  (January  19,  1889,  Ong).  Migration  begins 
usually  between  February  15  and  25  and  the  first  reach  even  the 
most  northern  counties  in  the  last  days  of  February  or  in  the 
first  week  of  March.  The  transit  of  parties  of  north-bound  Blue- 
birds continues  until  the  latter  part  of  March.  Our  own  Blue- 
birds have  by  this  time  taken  up  their  old  quarters,  finished 
nests  being  found  as  early  as  March  20,  where,  if  not  disturbed, 
they  remain  until  the  last  brood  is  ready  to  go,  about  the  first 
of  August,  when  all  retire  to  favorite  feeding  grounds.  Three 
broods  are  sometimes  made,  the  first  leaving  the  nest  about  May 
12,  the  second  June  24,  the  third  August  1.  Migration  from  the 
north  reaches  us  about  the  first  of  October  and  in  the  second 
and  third  week  of  the  month  Bluebirds  are  present  in  flocks  of 
different  size,  sometimes  as  many  as  three  hundred  together 
apparently  ready  to  depart  for  more  southern  climes.  The  bulk 


266  Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 

of  the  species  is  gone  by  November  1,  but  some  linger  through 
November  even  in  northern  Missouri.  After  December  1 
winter  numbers  only  are  left.  We  sometimes  read  that  no  bird 
has  suffered  so  much  from  persecution  by  the  English  Sparrow 
as  the  Bluebird.  While  this  may  be  true  in  some  parts  of  the 
country,  the  Missouri  Bluebird  has  not  much  to  fear  from  the 
Sparrows;  it  can  cope  with  them  successfully.  After  a  pair  has 
once  taken  possession  of  a  bird-box  no  English  Sparrow  is  al- 
lowed to  come  within  ten  feet  of  it.  The  greatest  enemy  of  the 
Bluebird  is  the  house  cat,  which  gets  most  of  the  young  birds 
the  very  first  day  they  leave  the  nest,  being  careless  enough  to 
fly  to  the  ground,  but  not  strong  enough  to  fly  up  readily 
when  the  lurking  pet  of  the  household  approaches. 


Index, 


267 


INDEX. 


Acanthis  linaria  169 
Accipiter  atricapillus  93 
cooperii  92 
fringilloides  91 
fuscus  91 
mexicanus  92 
pensylvanicus  91 
velox  91 

Actitis  macularius  74 
Actiturus  bartramius  73 
Actodromas  bairdii  68 

fuscicollis  68 
maculata  67 
minutilla  69 

Aechmophorus  occidentalis  21 
Aegialites  vociferus  76 
Aegialitis  meloda  circuincincta  77 
semipalmata  77 
vocifera  76 
Aegiothus  fuscescens  169 

linaria  169 

Agelaeus  phoeniceus  155 
Agelaius  phoeniceus  155 

fortis  156 

xanthocephalus  154 
Aimophila  aestiva  bachmani  189 
Aix  sponsa  37 
Alauda  alpestris  142 
cornuta  142 
magna  156 
rufa  243 
spraguei  243 
Alcedo  alcyon  118 
Ammodramus  bairdii  176 

bimaculatus  178 
caudacutus  179 

nelsoni  179 
henslowii  178 
leconteii  179 
nelsoni  179 
palustris  191 
passerinus  177 
sandwich,  alaudinus  176 

savanna  175 
savannarum  177 

perpallidus 
178 


Ampelis  americana  205 
cedrorum  205 
garrulus  205 
sialis  265 
Anas  acuta     36 

albeola  40 

americana  33 

boschas  31 

caerulescens  45 

canadensis  45 

carolinensis  34 

caudacuta  36 

clangula  39 

clypeata  35 

collaris  39 

columbianus  48 

crecca  34 

cyanoptera  35 

discors  34 

domestica  31 

ferina  37 

fuligula  39 

fulva  47 

fusca  42 

glacialis  41 

histrionica  41 

hyemalis  41 

hyperboreus  44 

islandica  40 

jamaicensis  43 

longicauda  41 

marila  38 

minuta  41 

nigra  42 

obscura  32 

rubripes  32 

penelope  33 

perspicillata  43 

rubidus  43 

rufitorques  39 

sponsa  37 

strepera  32 

vailisneria  37 
Anhinga  anhinga  27 
Anorthura  hyemalis  250 

troglodytes  250 

hyemalis  250 


268 


Trans.  Acad.  Sri.  of  St.  Louis. 


Anser  albatus  44 
albifrons  45 

gambeli  45 
caerulescens  45 
frontalis  45 
gambeli  45 
hutchinsii  46 
hyperboreus  44 
Antrostomus  carolinensis  128 
nuttallii  129 
vociferus  128 
Anthus  aquaticus  243 

ludovicianus  243 
pensilvanicus  243 
pipiens  243 
spinoletta  243 
spragueii  243 
Aquila  canadensis  100 
chrysaetos  100 
fulva  100 
leucocephala  100 
Archibuteo  ferrugineus  99 
lagopus  99 

sancti-johannis  99 
Ardejji  americana  56 
caerulea  54 
candidissima  54 
egretta  53 
exilis  52 
herodias  52 

leucogastra  v.  leucophrymna  54 
ludoviciana  54 
minor  51 
naevia  55 
pealei  54 
rufa54 
rufescens  54 
stellaris  canadensis  51 
tricolor  ruficollis  54 
virescens  55 
Ardetta  exilis  52 
Arenaria  morinella  78 
Arquatella  maritima  67 
Asio  accipitrinus  106 
wilsonianus  105 
Astragalinus  tristis  169 
Astur  atricapillus  93 
cooperii  92 
hyemalis  97 
palumbarius  93 


Astur  pennsylvanicus  91,  98 

velox  91 

Avocet,  American  63 
Aythya  affinis  38 

americana  37 
collaris  39 
marila  38 

nearctica  38 
vallisneria  37 

Baeolophus  bicolor  255 

Baldpate  33 

Bartramia  longicauda  73 

Beach  Bird  70 

Bee  Martin  135 

Beetle-head  76 

Bernicla  canadensis  45 
hutchinsii  46 

Bird  of  Paradise  135 

Washington  100 

Bittern,  American  51 
Least  52 
Little  52 

Blackbird,  Brewer's  163 
Common  163 
Crow  163 
Red-winged  155 
Rusty  162 
Swamp  155 
Thrush  162 
Yellow-headed  154 

Blackcap,  Wilson's  240 

Black-head,  Big  38 
Little  38 

Black-jack  39 

Bluebill,  Big  38 
Little  38 

Bluebird  265 

Blue  Jay  144 

Bobolink  149 

Bob-white  78 

Bombycilla  americana  205 
carolinensis  205 
garrulus  205 

Bonasa  umbellus  79 

Botaurus  lentiginosus  51 
minor  51 
mugitans  51 , 

Brachyotus  palustris  106 

Brant,  White  44 


Index. 


269 


Branta  canadensis  45 

hutchinsi  46 
minima  47 
Bridge-pewee  137 
Bristle-tail  43 
Brown  Back  66 
Bubo  virginianus  110 

pallescens  112 
subarctica  112 
Bucephala  albeola  40 

americana  39 
clangula  39 
Buffle-head  40 
BuU-bat  130 
Bull-head  76 
Bull-peep  68 
Bunting,  Bay- winged  175 

Black-throated  198 
Henslow's  178 
Indigo  196 
Lark  198 
Lazuli  197 
Painted  197 
Butcherbird  206 
Buteo  aquilinus  94 
bairdii  97 
borealis  94 

calurus  96 
harlani  96 
kriderii  95 
calurus  96 
harlani  96 
hyemalis  97 
lagopus  99 
latissimus  98 
lineatus  97 
montanus  96,  97 
niger  99 

pennsylvanicus  98 
platypterus  98 
swainsoni  97 
vulgaris  97 

Butorides  virescens  55 
Butterball  40 

Buzzard,  Red-shouldered  97 
Red-tailed  94 
Rough-legged  99 
Turkey  86 

Calamospiza  bicolor  198 


Calamospiza  melanocorys  198 
Calcarius  lapponicus  173 
ornatus  174 
pictus  173 
Calico-back  78 
Calidris  arenaria  70 
calidris  70 
rubidus  70 

Campephilus  principalis  119 
Canary,  Wild  169,  222 
Canvasback  37 
Caprimulgus  carolinensis  128 
nuttallii  129 
popetue  130 
virginianus  130 
vociferus  128 
Carbo  mexicanus  28 
Cardinal  194 

Kentucky  194 
Cardinalis  cardinalis  194 

virginianus  194 
Carduelis  americanus  169 
carduelis  171 
elegans  171 
pinus  170 
tristis  169 

Carpodacus  purpureus  167 
Catbird  245 
Catharista  atrata  87 
urubu  87 
Cathartes  atratus  87 

aura  86 
Cedarbird  205 
Centronyx  bairdii  176 

ochrocephalus  176 
Centrophanes  lapponicus  173 
ornatus  174 
pictus  173 

Centurus  carolmus  126 
Ceophloeus  pileatus  123 

albieticola  123 
Certhia  americana  252 
caroliniana  247 
familiaris  252 

americana  252 
rufa  252 
maculata  212 
pinus  216 
varia  212 
Ceryle  alcyon  118 


270 


Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 


Chaetura  pelagica  132 
pelasgia  132 

Charadrius  apricarius  76 
dominicus  76 
fulvus  v.  virginicus  76 
helveticus  76 
hiaticula  77 
marmoratus  76 
melodus  77 
mexicanus  64 
pluvialis  76 
semipalmatus  77 
virginicus  76 
vociferas  76 
Charitonetta  albeola  40 
Chat,  Yellow-breasted  239 
Chatterer,  Bohemian  205 
Chaulelasmus  streperus  32 
Chebeck  142 

Chelidon  erythrogastra  202 
Chen  caerulescens  45 
hyperborea  44 
hyperboreus  albatus  44 

nivalis  44 
Cherrybird  205 
Chewink  193 
Chickadee  255 

Black-capped  255 
Carolina  256 
Long-tailed  256 
Plumbeous  257 
Chippy  184 

Whiter  184 
Chondestes  grammacus  180 

grammica  180 
Chordeiles  henryi  131 
popetue  130 
virginianus  130 

henryi  131 
sennetti  131 
Chroicocephalus  franklini  25 

Philadelphia  25 
Chrysomitris  pinus  170 
tristis  169 

Chuck-will's  widow  128 
Circus  cyaneus  90 

hudsonius  90 
hudsonicus  90 
hyemalis  97 
Cistothorus  palustris  251 


Cistothorus  stellaris  251 
Clangula  albeola  40 

clangula  americana  39 
glaucion  39 
hyemalis  41 
islandica  40 
vulgaris  39 
Clivicola  riparia  203 
Coccoborus  caeruleus  196 

ludovicianus  195 
vespertinus  166 
Coccothraustes  ludovicianus  195 

vespertinus  166 
Coccygus  americanus  116 

erythrophthalmus  117 
Coccyzus  americanus  116 

erythrophthalmus  117 
Cock-of-the- Woods  123 
Colaptes  auratus  126 

luteus  126 
ayresii  127 
cafer  127 

collaris  127 
collaris  127 
hybridus  127 
mexicanus  127 
Colinus  virginianus  78 
Columba  carolinensis  85 
macroura  85 
migratoria  84 
Collurio  borealis  206 

ludovicianus  excubitoroides 
207 
Collyrio  borealis  206 

excubitoroides  207 
Colymbus  arcticus  23 

auritus  21,  22 
californicus  22 
glacialis  22 
holboellii  21 

nigricollis  californicus  22 
podiceps  22 
septentrionalis  23 
torquatus  22 
Compsothlypis  americana  ramalinae220 

usneae  220 
Contopus  borealis  138 

virens  139 

Conurus  carolinensis  113 
Coot,  American  62 


Index. 


271 


Coot,  Gray  43 
Sea  43 

Spectacled  43 
Surf  43 

White-winged  42 
Cormorant,  Double-crested  28 

Southern  28 
Florida  28 
Mexican  28 
Corporal,  Little  103 
Corvus  americanus  147 

brachyrhynchus  147 
cacalotl  146 
carnivorus  146,  147 
columbianus  149 
corax  146,  147 

carnivorus  147 
principalis  147 
sinuatus  146 
corone  147 
cristatus  144 
frugivorus  147 
pica  144 
sinuatus  146 
Corydalina  bicolor  198 
Corythus  enucleator  166 
Cotile  riparia  203 
Coturniculus  bairdii  176 

henslowii  178 
leconteii  179 
passerinus  177 

perpallidus  178 
savannarum  bimaculatus 
178 

passerinus 
177 
Cotyle  riparia  203 

serripennis  204 
Cowbird  151 
Crake,  Carolina  59 
Crane,  Blue  52 
Brown  57 
Hooping  56 
Little  Brown  57 
Sandhill  57 

Northern  57 
White  53 
Whooping  56,  57 
Creeper,  Brown  252 
Crex  galeata  61 


Cricket  Bird  177 
Crossbill,  American  167 

White-winged  168 
Crow,  American  147 
Carrion  87 
Clarke's  149 

Crymophilus  fulicarius  62 
Cryptoglaux  acadica  108 

tengmalmi  richardsonii 

108 
Cuckoo,  Black-billed  117 

Yellow-billed  116 
Cuculus  auratus  126 

carolinensis  116 
erythrophthalmus  117 
Culicivora  caerulea  259 
Cupidonia  cupido  81 
Curlew,  Eskimo  75 

Esquimaux  75 
Hudsonian  75 
Jack  75 
Long-billed  74 
Short-billed  75 
Curvirostra  americana  167 
leucoptera  168 
Cyanocitta  cristata  144 
Cyanospiza  amoena  197 
ciris  197 
cyanea  196 

Cyanurus  cristatus  144 
Cygnus  americanus  48 
bewickii  48 
buccinator  48 
ferus  48 

Cygnus  musicus  48 
Cypselus  pelasgia  132 

Dabchick  22 

Dacnis  protonotaria  213 

vermivora  214 
Dafila  acuta  36 
Darter  27 

Demiegretta  ludoviciana  54 
pealii  54 
rufa  54 

Dendrocygna  fulva  47 
Dendroica  aestiva  222 

blackburniae  228 
caerulescens  222 
canadensis  222 


272 


Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 


Dendroica  castanea  227 
cerulea  225 
coronata  223 
discolor  232 
dominica  229 

albilora  229 
kirtlandi  231 
maculosa  224 
palmamm  232 
pensylvanica  226 
pinus  231 
rara  225 
striata  227 
superciliosa  229 
tigrina  221 
vigorsii  231 
virens  230 

Dendronessa  sponsa  37 
Dichromanassa  rufa  54 

rufescens  54 
Dickcissel  198 
Dipper  22,  40 
Diver,  Arctic  23 

Great  Northern  22 
Dolichonyx  bicolor  198 

oryzivorus  149 
Dough  Bird  70,  75 
Dove,  Carolina  85 

Mourning  85 
Dowitcher  66 

Long-billed  66 
Red-bellied  66 
Dryobates  borealis  121 

pubescens  medianus  120 
villosus  119 

audubonii  120 
Duck,  Black  32 

Red-legged  32 
Dusky  32 
Fish  30,  31 
Fool  43 
Gray  32 
Harlequin  41 
Long-tailed  41 
Ring-necked  39 
Ruddy  43 
Scaup  38 

Lesser  38 
Scoter  42 
Spine-tailed  43 


Duck,  Spoon-billed  35 

Summer  37 

Surf  43 

Black  42 

Tree,  Fulvous  47 

Velvet  42 

Wood  37 
Dunlin  69 
Dytes  auritus  21 

Eagle,  American  100 

Bald  100 

Black  100 

Golden  100 

Gray  100 

Ring-tailed  100 

White-headed  100 
Ectopistes  macrura  84 

migratoria  84 
Egret,  American  53 

Peale's  54 

Reddish  54 

White,  Little  54 
Egretta  candidissima  54 
Elanoides  forficatus  88 
Elanus  dispar  89 

furcatus  88 

glaucus  89 

leucurus  89 

Emberiza  americana  198 
amoena  197 
bairdii  176 
canadensis  184 
ciris  197 

erythrophthalma  193 
graminea  175 
grammaca  180 
henslowii  178 
lapponica  173 
leconteii  179 
leucophrys  182 
melodia  190 
nivalis  172 
ornata  174 
orycivora  149 
pallida  185 
passe  rina  177 
pecoris  151 
picta  173 
pusilla  186 
savannarum  175 


Index. 


273 


Emberiza  shattuckii  185 
smithii  173 
socialis  184 
Empidonax  acadicus  140 

flaviventris  140 
minimus  142 
pusillus  141 

traillii  141 
traillii  141 
alnornum  141 
virescens  140 
Ephialtes  asio  109 
Eremophila  alpestris  142 

praticola  143 
cornuta  142 
Ereunetes  occidentalis  70 

petrificatus  69,  70 
pusillus  69,  70 
Erismatura  jamaicensis  43 

rubida  43 

Erythrospiza  purpurea  167 
Eudocinus  albus  49 
Euphagus  carolinus  162 

cyanocephalus  163 
Euspiza  arnericana  198 

Falco  anatum  102 
atricapillus  93 
borealis  94 
buteo  97 
buteoides  97 
chrysaetos  100 
columbarius  103 
communis  anatum  102 
cooperii  92 
cyanus  90 
dispar  89 
ferruginous  99 
forficatus  88 
furcatus  88 
fuscus  91 
harlani  96 
hudsonius  90 
hyemalis  97 
lagopus  99 

lanarius  mexicanus  101 
polyagrus  101 
leucocephalus  100 
leverianus  94 
lineatus  97 


Falco  lithofalco  columbarius  103 
mexicanus  101 
mississippiensis  90 
niger  99 
ossifragus  100 
palumbarius  93 
peregrinus  anatum  102 
plumbeus  90 
polyagrus  101 
richardsonii  103 
sancti-johannis  99 
sparverius  103 
stanleyi  92 
temerarius  103 
uliginosus  90 
velox  91 

Washington!  i  100 
Falcon,  Peregrine  102 

Prairie  101 

Finch,  Purple  167,  197 
Fish  Duck  30,  31 
Fish-hawk  104 
Flicker,  Northern  126 

Red-shafted  127 
Florida  caerulea  54 
Flycatcher,  Acadian  140 
Alder  141 
Crested  137 
Great  Crested  137 
Green  Crested  140 
Least  142 
Little  141 
Olive-sided  138 
Scissor- tailed  135 
Swallow-tailed  135 
Traill's  141 
Yellow-bellied  140 
Fly-up-the-creek  55 
Fringilla  albicollis  183 
ambigua  151 
americana  198 
amoena  197 
arborea  184 
bachmani  189 
bicolor  198 
caerulea  196 
canadensis  184 
cardinalis  194 
carduelis  171 
caudacuta  179 


274 


Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 


Fringilla  ciris  197 

comata  180 
cyanea  196 
domestica  172 
erythrophthalma  193 
fasciata  190 
ferruginea  192 
georgiana  191 
graminea  175 
grammaca  180 
harrisii  180 
henslowii  178 
hyemalis  187 
iliaca  192 
juncorum  186 
lapponica  173 
leucophrys  182 
linaria  169 
lincolni  191 
ludoviciana  195 
melodia  190 
montana  172 
nivalis  187 
oryzivora  149 
palustris  191 
passerina  177 
pensylvanica  183 
pinus  170 
purpurea  167 
pusilla  186 
querula  180 
rufa  192 
savanna  175 
savannarum  177 
socialis  184 
tristis  169 
vespertina  166 

Fulica  americana  62 
atra62 
martinica  61 

Fuligula  affinis  38 
albeola  40 
americana  37,  42 
clangula  39 
collaris  39 
ferina  37 
fusca  42 
histrionica  41 
marila  38 
mariloides  38 


Fuligula  minor  38 

perspicillata  43 
rubida  43 
spectabilis  42 
vallisneria  37 
Fulix  affinis  38 
collaris  39 
marila  38 

Gadwall  32 

Galeoscoptes  carolinensis  245 
Gallinago  delicata  65 
wilsoni  65 

Gallinula  chloropus  61 
galeata  61 
porphyrio  61 
Gallinule,  Florida  61 
Purple  61 
Gambetta  flavipes  72 

melanoleuca  71 
Garrot  39 

Rocky  Mountain  40 
Garrulus  cristatus  144 
Garzetta  candidissima  54 
Gavia  arctica  23 
imber  22 
lumme  23 
Geothlypis  agilis  236 

formosa  235 
Philadelphia  237 
trichas  brachidactyla  238 
Glaucionetta  clangula  americana  39 

islandica  40 

Gnatcatcher,  Blue-gray  259 
Godwit,  Black-tailed  71 
Hudsonian  71 
Marbled  70 
Ring-tailed  71 
Golden-eye,  American  39 
Barrow's  40 

Goldfinch,  American  169 
European  171 
Goniaphea  caerulea  196 

ludoviciana  195 
Goosander  30 
Goose,  Blue  45 

Blue-winged  45 
Cackling  47 
Canada  45 

Lesser  46 


Index. 


275 


Goose,  Hutchin's  46 
Laughing  45 
Snow  44,  45 

Greater  44 
Lesser  44 

White-fronted,  American  45 
Wild  45 

Little  46 

Goshawk,  American  93 
Gourdhead  51 
Grackle  163 

Blue-headed  163 
Bronzed  163 
Rusty  162 

Gracula  ferruginea  162 
Graculus  dilophus  28 
Grassfinch  175 
Grayback  66,  67 
Great  Head  39 
Grebe,  California  22 
Carolina  22 
Eared,  American  22 
Holboell's  21 
Horned  21,  22 
Pied-billed  22 
Red-necked,  American  21 
Thick-baled  22 
Western  21 
Grosbeak,  Blue  196 

Evening  166 
Pine  166 

Canadian  166 
Rose-breasted  195 
Grouse,  Pinnated  81 

Ruffled  79 

Grus  americanus  56,  57 
canadensis  57 
fraterculus  57 
hoyanus  56 
mexicana  57 
Guara  alba  49 
Guiraca  caerulea  196 
cardinalis  194 
ludoviciana  195 
Gull,  Bonaparte's  25 

Common,  American  25 
Fork-tailed  25 
Franklin's  25 
Herring  24 

American  24 


Gull,  Ring-billed  25 

Rosy,  Franklin's  25 
Sabine's  25 
Sea  24 

Habia  ludoviciana  195 
Haliaetus  washingtonii  100 
Haliaeetus  leucocephalus  100 
Hangnest  161 
Harelda  glacialis  41 
hyemalis  41 
Harlequin  Duck  41 
Harporhynchus  rufus  246 
Harrier,  American  90 
Hawk,  Black  99 

Black-shouldered  89 
Blue  92 

Broad-winged  98 
Cooper's  92 
Duck  102 
Fish  104 
Harlan's  96 
Krider's  95 
Marsh  90 
Mouse  90 
Pigeon  103 
Red-shouldered  97 
Red-tailed  94 

Rough-legged,  American  99 
Sharp-shinned  91 
Sparrow,  American  103 
Squirrel,  California  99 
Swainson's  97 
Swallow-tailed  88 
Hedymeles  ludovicianus  195 
Helinaia  bachmanii  215 
celata  218 
chrysoptera  217 
peregrina  219 
protonotarius  213 
rubricapilla  218 
solitaria  216 
swainsonii  214 
vermivora  214 
Helldiver  22 

Helmintherus  vennivorus  214 
Helminthophaga  bachmani  215 
celata  218 
chrysoptera  217 
leucobronchialis  216 


276 


Trans.  Acad.  Sri.  of  St.  Louis. 


Helminthophaga  peregrina  219 
pinus  216 
ruficapilla  218 

Helminthophila  bachmanii  215 
celata  218 
chrysoptera  217 
leucobronchialis  216 
peregrina  219 
pinus  216 
rubricapilla  218 
ruficapiUa  218 

Helminthotherus  vermivoms  214 
Helmitherus  swainsoni  214 

vermivoms  214 
Helodromas  solitarius  72 
Helonaea  swainsonii  214 
Herodias  alba  egretta  53 

egretta  53 
Heron,  Fish  52 

Great  Blue  52 

Green  55 

Little  Blue  54 

Little  White  54 

Louisiana  54 

Night,  Black-crowned  55 

Yellow-crowned  56 
Snowy  54 
White  53 

Hesperiphona  vespertina  166 
High-holder  126 
Himantopus  mexicanus  64 
nigricollis  64 
Hirundo  americana  202 
bicolor  203 
erythrogaster  202 
fulva  201 
horreorum  202 
lunifrons  201 
pelasgia  132 
purpurea  201 
republicana  201 
riparia  203 
rufa  202 
rustica  202 
serripennis  204 
subis  201 
viridis  203 

Histrionicus  histrionicus  41 
minutus  41 
torquatus  41 


Hummingbird,  Ruby-throated  134 
Hydranassa  tricolor  ludoviciana  54 

ruficollis  54 
Hydrochelidon  fissipes  27 

lariformis  27 
nigra  surinamensis  27 
plumbea  27 
Hylocichla  aliciae  261 

bicknelli  262 
fuscescens  260 

salicicola  260 
guttata  pallasii  263 
mustelina  259 
unalascae  pallasii  263 
ustulata  swainsonii  262 
Hylotomus  pileatus  123 

Ibis  alba  49 
Bay  50 
Glossy  50 
Green  50 
guarauna  50 
falcinellus  50 

v.  Ordii  50 
Ordii  50 
thalassinus  50 
White  49 

White-faced  Glossy  50 
Wood  51 
Icteria  virens  239 
viridis  239 

Icterus  baltimore  161 
galbula  161 
icterocephalus  154 
pecoris  151 
phoeniceus  155 
spurius  160 
xanthocephalus  154 
Ictinia  mississippiensis  90 
plumbea  90 
subcaerulea  90 
Indian  Pullet  51 
lonornis  martinica  61 
Iridoprocne  bicolor  203 

Jaeger,  Parasitic  24 

Richardson's  24 
Jay  Bird  144   ' 
Joree  193 
Junco  187 


Index. 


277 


Junco  hiemalis  187 

hyemalis  187 

connectens  188 
shufeldti  188 

montanus  189 

Shufeldt's  188 

Slate-colored  187 

Kestrel,  American  103 
Killdeer  76 
Kingbird  135 

Arkansas  136 
King  Eider  42 
Kingfisher,  Belted  118 
Kinglet,  Golden-crowned  257 

Ruby-crowned  258 
Kite,  Fork-tailed  88 

Mississippi  90 

Swallow-tailed  88 

White-tailed  89 
Kittiwake  24 
Knot  67 

Lanius  borealis  206 
excubitor  206 
ludovicianus  207 

migrans  207 
tyrannus  135 
Lanivireo  flavifrons  210 
solitarius  210 
Lanner 101 
Lark,  Horned  142,  143 

Hoyt's  143 
Prairie  143 
Prairie  143 
Shore  142 
Snow  142 
Larus  argentatus  24 

smithsonianus  24 
bonapartei  25 
delawarensis  25 
franklinii  25 
Philadelphia  25 
sabinii  25 
tridactylus  24 
zonorhynchus  25 
Lawyer  64 
Lead-back  69 
Lestris  richardsonii  24 
Limosa  fedoa  70 


Limosa  foeda  70 

haemastica  71 
hudsonica  71 
scolopacea  66 
Linaria  minor  169 
pinus  170 
Lobipes  hyperboreus  62 

lobatus  62 
Log-cock  123 
Long-beak,  Greater  66 
Long-bill  65 
Long-shanks  64 

Longspur,  Chestnut-collared  174 
Lapland  173 
McCown's  174 
Smith's  173 
Look-up  51 
Loon  22 

Arctic  23 
Black-throated  23 
Red-throated  23 
Lophodytes  cucullatus  31 
Lophophanes  bicolor  255 
Loxia  americana  167 
caerulea  196 
cardinalis  194 
curvirostra  167 

americana  167 
minor  167 
enucleator  166 
leucoptera  168 
ludoviciana  195 
rosea  195 

Macrorhamphus  griseus  66 

scolopaceus  66 
scolopaceus  66 
Magpie,  American  144 
Mallard  31 

Black  32 
Mareca  americana  33 

penelope  33 
Marlin  70 

Black-tailed  71 

Ring-tailed  71 
Marsh  Hen  58 
Martin  201 

Purple  201 

Sand  203 
Maybird  67 


278 


Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 


Meadowlark  156 

Southern  160 
Western  157 
Megascops  asio  109 
Melanerpes  carolinus  126 

erythrocephalus  124 
Melanetta  velvetina  42 
Meleagris  gallopavo  83 

fera  83 
silvestris  83 
Mellisuga  colubris  134 
Melospiza  cinerea  melodia  190 
fasciata  190 
georgiana  191 
lincolnii  191 
meloda  190 
melodia  190 
palustris  191 
Merganser  americanus  30 

serrator  30 

Merganser,  American  30 
Hooded  31 
Red-breasted  30 
Mergus  americanus  30 
cucullatus  31 
merganser  30 
serrator  30 
Merlin,  American  103 

Richardson's  103 
Merula  migratoria  264 
Micropalama  himantopus  66 
Microptera  americana  64 
Milvulus  forficatus  135 
Milvus  furcatus  88 
leucurus  89 

Mimus  carolinensis  245 
felivox  245 
polyglottus  244 
Mniotilta  borealis  212 
varia  212 

borealis  212 
Mocker  244 
Mockingbird  244 
Molothrus  ater  151 

pecoris  151 
Moorhen  61 
Mosquito  hawk  130 
Motacilla  aestiva  222 

chrysoptera  217 
citrea  213 


Motacilla  maculosa  224 

tigrina  221 
Mudhen  61,  62 
Mud-peep  69 
Muscicapa  atra  137 

bonapartei  241 

caerulea  259 

canadensis  241 

cantatrix  211 

carolinensis  245 

crinita  137 

cucullata  240 

forficata  135 

fusca  137 

gilva  209 

melodia  209 

noveboracensis  211 

nunciola  137 

olivacea  208 

phoebe  137 

pusilla  240 

querula  139,  140 

rapax  139 

ruticilla  242 

saya  138 

selbii  240 

solitaria  210 

sylvicola  210 

traillii  141 

tyrannus  135 

verticalis  136 

virens  139 

Muscivora  forficata  135 
Myiarchus  crinitus  137 
Myiodioctes  bonapartei  241 
canadensis  241 
formosus  235 
mitratus  240 
pusillus  240 

pileolatus  241 
wilsonii  240 

Nauclerus  forficatus  88 

furcatus  88 
Neocorys  spraguei  243 
Nettion  carolinensis  34 
Nighthawk  130 

Sennetti  131 

Western  131 
Night  Raven  55 


Index. 


279 


Niphea  hyemalis  187 
Nisus  fuscus  91 

pensylvanicus  91 
Nonpareil  197 
Nucifraga  columbiana  149 
Numenius  borealis  57 

hudsonicus  75 
intermedius  75 
longirostris  74 
Nutcracker,  Clarke's  149 
Nuthatch,  Brown-headed  254 
Canada  254 
Carolina  253 
Red-bellied  254 
Red-breasted  254 
White-bellied  253 
White-breasted  253 
Nuttallornis  borealis  138 
Nyctale  acadica  108 
albifrons  108 
frontalis  108 
kirtlandi  108 
richardsoni  108 
tengmalmi  richardsoni  108 
Nyctanassa  violacea  56 
Nyctea  nivea  112 
nyctea  112 

scandiaca  v.  arctica  112 
Nycterodius  violaceus  56 
Nyctiardea  gardeni  55 

grisea  naevia  55 
violacea  56 

Nycticorax  nycticorax  naevius  55 
violaceus  56 

Oidemia  americana  42 
bimaculata  42 
deglandi  42 
fusca  42 

velvetina  42 
perspicillata  43 
velvetina  42 

Olbiorchilus  hieraalis  250 
Old-squaw  41 
Old-wife  41 
Olor  americanus  48 
buccinator  48 
columbianus  48 
Oporornis  agilis  236 

formosus  235 


Oriole,  Baltimore  161 

Orchard  160 
Oriolus  baltimore  161 
mutatus  160 
spurius  160 
Orpheus  carolinensis  245 

rufus  246 
Ortolan  59 
Ortygometra  Carolina  59 

noveboracensis  60 
Ortyx  virginianus  78 
Osprey,  American  104 
Otocoris  alpestris  142 

hoyti  143 
praticola  143 
Otus  americanus  105 

brachyotus  106 

vulgaris  v.  wilsonianus  105 

wilsonianus  105 
Ovenbird  233 
Owl,  Acadian  108 

Barn,  American  105 

Barred  107 

Cat  106 

Great  Gray  107 

Hawk,  American  113 

Hoot  107 

Horned,  Great  110 

Western  112 

Kirtland's  108 

Long-eared,  American  105 

Marsh  106 

Monkey-faced  105 

Mottled  109 

Prairie  106 

Richardson's  108 

Saw-whet  108 

Screech  109 

Short-eared  106 

Snowy  112 

Sparrow,  American  108 
Ox-bird  69 
Ox-eye  76 
Oxyechus  vocifenis  76 

Pandion  carolinensis  104 

haliaetus  104 

haliaetus  carolinensis  104 
Parakeet  113 
Paroquet,  Carolina  113 


280 


Trans.  Acad.  Sd.  of  St.  Louis. 


Parrot,  Orange-headed  113 
Partridge  78,  79 
Parula  amerieana  220 
Parus  atricapillus  255,  256 

carolinensis  256 
septentrionalis  256 
bicolor  255 
carolinensis  256 

agilis  257 
palustris  255 
septentrionalis  256 
Passer  domesticus  172 
montanus  172 
Passerculus  alaudinus  176 
bairdi  176 

sandwich,  alaudinus  176 
savanna  175 
savanna  175 

alaudinus  176 
Passerella  iliaca  192 
Passerina  amoena  197 
ciris  197 
cyanea  196 
nivalis  172 
Peabody  bird  183 
Peep  69 
Peet-weet  74 
Pelecanus  americanus  29 
dilophus  28 
erythrorhynchus  29 
onocrotalus  29 
trachyrhynchus  29 
Pelican,  White,  American  29 
Pelidna  alpina  sakhalina  69 

pacifica  69 

Pelionetta  perspicillata  43 
trowbridgii  43 
Penelope  mexicana  47 
Penthestes  atricapillus  255 

septentrionalis 
256 

carolinensis  256 
Perdix  virginiana  78 
Perisoglossa  tigrina  221 
Petrochelidon  lunifrons  201 
Peucea  aestivalis  189 

bachmanii  189 
illinoiensis  189 
bachmanii  189 
illinoiensis  189 


Peucea  lincolnii  191 
Phalacrocorax  dilophus  28 

floridanus  28 
floridanus  28 
mexicanus  28 
Phalaenoptilus  nuttallii  129 

nitidus  129 
Phalarope,  Gray  62 

Northern  62 
Red  62 

Red-necked  62 
Wilson's  63 
Phalaropus  fulicarius  62 

hyperboreus  62 
lobatus,  62,  63 
tricolor  63 
wilsoni  63 

Phasianus  colchicus  82 
torquatus  82 
Pheasant  79 

English  82 
Ring-necked  82 
Philohela  minor  64 
Phoebe  137 

Say's  138 

Pica  caudata  hudsonica  144 
hudsonica  144 
melanoleuca  144 
pica  hudsonica  144 
Picicorvus  columbianus  149 
Picus  audubonii  120 
auratus  126 
borealis  121 
carolinus  126 
erythrocephalus  124 
mexicanus  127 
pileatus  123 
principalis  119 
pubescens  120 
querulus  121 
varius  122 
villosus  119 
Pigeon,  Passenger  84 

Wild  84 

Pinicola  canadensis  166 
enucleator  166 

canadensis  166 
leucura  166 
Pintail  36 
Pipilo  erythrophthalmus  193 


Index. 


281 


Pipit,  American  243 
Sprague's  243 
Pipra  polyglotta  239 
Piranga  erythromelas  199 

rubra  200 

Pitylus  cardinalis  194 
Plectrophanes  lapponicus  173 
mccownii  174 
melanomus  174 
nivalis  172 
ornatus  174 
pictus  173 

Plectrophenax  nivalis  172 
Plegadis  autumnalis  50 
falcinellus  50 
guarauna  50 
Plotus  anhinga  27 

melanogaster  27 
Plover,  Black  bellied  76 
Blue  67 
Field  73,  76 
Golden,  American  76 
Grass  73 
Green  76 
Killdeer  76 
Piping,  Belted  77 
Ring  77 
Semipalmated  77 

Ring  77 
Upland  73 
Pochard  37 
Podiceps  auritus  22 

californicus  22 
carolinensis  22 
cornutus  21 
cristatus  21 
griseigena  holboelli  21 
holboellii  21 
occidental  21 
rubricollis  21 
Podilymbus  podiceps  22 
Polioptila  caerulea  259 
Poocetes  gramineus  175 
Pooecetes  gramineus  175 
Poor-will  129 

frosted  129 
Pope  197 

Porphyrio  martinica  61 
Porzana  Carolina  59 

jamaicensis  60 


Porzana  noveboracensis  60 

Prairie  Chicken  81 
Hen  81 

Lesser  82 

Preacher  208 

Progne  purpurea  201 
subis  201 

Protonotaria  citrea  213 

Psittacus  carolinensis  113 

Pyranga  aestiva  200 

erythromelas  199 
mississippiensis  200 
rubra  199 

Pyrgita  montana  172 

Pyrrhula  enucleator  166 

Qua-bird  55 
Quail  78 
Quawk  55 

Querquedula  carolinensis  34 
cyanoptera  35 
discors  34 

Quiscalus  aeneus  163 
breweri  163 
ferrugineus  162 
purpureus  163 

aeneus  163 
quiscula  aeneus  163 
versicolor  163 

Rail,  Black  60 

Little  60 
Common  59 
King  58 

Red-breasted,  Great  58 
Little  59 
Virginia  59 
Yellow  60 
Raincrow  116,  117 
Rallus  carolinus  59 
elegans  58 
jamaicensis  60 
noveboracensis  60 
virginianus  59 
Raven,  American  146,  147 
Mexican  146 
Northern  147 
Recurvirostra  americana  63 

himantopus  64 
Red-bark  69 


282 


Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 


Redbird  194 

r  '-I  Summer  200 

Red-breast  69,  195 

Robin  264 
Redhead  37 
Redpoll  169 

Yellow  232 

Redstart,  American  242 
Red-tail,  Black  96 

Western  96 
White-bellied  95 
Red-wing,  Northern  156 

Thick-billed  156 
Reedbird  149 
Regulus  calendula  258 

cristatus  257 

reguloides  257 

satrapa  257 

tricolor  257 
Rhinogryphus  aura  86 
Rhyacophilus  solitarius  72 
Rhynchophanes  mccownii  174 
Ricebird  149 
Ring-bill  39 
Ring-neck  39,  77 
Riparia  riparia  203 
Rissa  tridactyla  24 
Robin,  American  264 
Rosebreast  195 
Rough-leg,  Ferruginous  99 
Rusticola  minor  64 

Salad-bird  169 

Sand-lark  74 

Sand-peep  69 

Sanderling  70 

Sandpiper,  Baird's  68 

Bartramian  73 
Black-bellied  69 
Bonaparte's  68 
Buff-breasted  73 
Common  74 
Least  69 
Pectoral  67 
Purple  67 
Red-backed  GO 
Red-breasted  67 
Semipalmated  69 
Solitary  72 
Spotted  74 


Sandpiper,  Stilt  66 

Western  70 
White-rumped  68 
Sapsucker,  Yellow-bellied  122 
Sawbill  31 
Sayornis  fuscus  137 
phoebe  137 
saya  138 
Scolecophagus  carolinus  162 

cyanocephalus  163 
ferrugineus  162 
Scolopax  alba  49 

borealis  75 
delicata  65 
douglasii  65 
fedoa  70 
flavipes  72 
gallinago  65 
grisea  66 
guarauna  50 
haemastica  71 
melanoleuca  71 
minor  64 

noveboracensis  66 
semipalmata  72 
vociferus  71 
Scops  asio  109 
Scoter,  American  42 
Black  42 
Surf  43 
Velvet  42 
White-winged  42 
Scotiaptex  cinereum  107 
nebulosa  107 
Sea  Coot  42 

Sea  Swallow,  Common  26 
Seiurus  aurocapillus  233 
ludovicianus  235 
motacilla  235 
naevius  233 
noveboracensis  233 

notabilis  233 

Setophaga  canadensis  241 
mitrata  240 
ruticilla  242 
wilsonii  65,  240 
Sheldrake,  American  30 

Buff-breasted  30 
Hooded  31 
Red-breasted  30 


Index. 


283 


Shoveller  35 

Shrike,  Loggerhead,  Northern  207 
Migrant  207 
Northern  200 
Shytepoke  55 
Sialia  sialis  265 

wilsonii  265 
Sickle-bill  74 
Siskin,  Pine  170 
Sitta  canadensis  2,34 
carolinensis  253 
pusilla  254 
varia  254 

Siurus  aurocapillus  233 
motacilla  235 
naevius  233 
Skunkhead  43 
Skylark,  Missouri  243 
Snakebird  27 
Snipe,  American  65 
Grass  67 
Gray  66 
Jack  65,  67 
Red-bellied  66 
Red-brested  66 
Robin  67 
Rock  67 
Stone  71 
White  64 
Wilson's  65 
Winter  67 
Snowbird  172,  187 
Snowflake  172 
Somateria  spectabilis  42 
Sora59 

South-southerly  41 
Sparrow,  Bachman's  189 
Baird's  176 
Chipping  184 
Clay-colored  185 
Field  186 

Western  187 
Fox  192 
Grasshopper  177 

Western  178 
Ground  175 
Harris's  180 
Henslow's  178 
Hooded  180 
House,  English  172 


Sparrow,  Lark  180 

Leconte's  179 
Lincoln's  191 
Nelson's  179 
Oakwood  189 
Savanna  175 

Western  176 
Song  190 
Swamp  191 
Tree,  Canada  184 

European  172 
Vesper  175 
White-crowned  182 
White- throated  183 
Spatula  clypeata  35 
Speckle-belly  45 
Sphyrapicus  varius  122 
Spinus  pinus  170 
tristis  169 

Spiza  americana  198 
amoena  197 
ciris  197 
cyanea  196 
Spizella  agrestis  186 
arenacea  187 
domestica  184 
montana  184 
monticola  184 
pallida  185 
pusilla  186 

arenacea  187 
socialis  184 
Spoonbill  35 
Sprig  36 
Sprigtail  36 
Squatarola  helvetica  76 

squatarola  76 
Squawk  55 
Stake  Driver  51 
Steganopus  tricolor  63 
wilsoni  63 

Stelgidopterix  serripennis  204 
Stercorarius  parasiticus  24 
Sterna  antillarum  27 
argentea  27 
caspia  26 
fissipes  27 
fiuviatilis  26 
forsteri  26 
frenata  27 


284 


Trans.  Acad.  Sd.  of  St.  Louis. 


Sterna  havellii  26 
hirundo  26 
minuta  27 
nigra  27 
superciliaris  27 
tschegrava  26 
wilsonii  26 
StUt  64 

Black-necked  64 
Stint  69 

Strepsilas  interpres  78 
Strix  acadica  108 

accipitrinus  106 
americana  105 
asio  109 
brachyotus  106 
cinerea  107 
flammea  105 

americana  105 
pratincola  105 
funerea  113 
hudsonica  113 
naevia  109 
nebulosa  107 
nyctea  112 
otus  105 
passerina  108 
pratincola  105 
tengmalmi  108 
virginiana  110 
Struthus  hyemalis  187 
Sturnella  ludoviciana  156,  157 
magna  156 

argatula  160 
neglecta  157 
neglecta  157 
Sturnus  ludovicianus  156 

predatorius  155 
Surnia  hudsonica  113 
naevia  109 
nyctea  112 
ulula  caparoch  113 
hudsonica  113 
Swallow,  Bank  203 
Barn  202 
Chimney  132 
Cliff  201 
Eave  201 

Rough-winged  204 
Tree  203 


Swallow,  White-bellied  203 

Wood  203 
Swan,  American  48 

Trumpeter  48 

Whistling  48 
Swift,  Chimney  132 
Sylvania  bonapartei  241 
canadensis  241 
formosa  235 
mitrata  240 
pusilla  240 

pileolata  241 
Sylvia  aestiva  222 

agilis  236 

americana  220 

autumnalis  227 

azurea  225 

bachmani  215 

blackburniae  228 

caerulescens  222 

calendula  258 

canadensis  222 

castanea  227 

celata  218 

cerulea  225 

childrenii  222 

chrysoptera  217 

citrinella  222 

coronata  223 

discolor  232 

domestica  248 

formosa  235 

icterocephala  226 

leucoptera  222 

maculosa  224 

magnolia  224 

maritima  221 

minuta  232 

mitrata  240 

palmarum  232 

pardalina  241 

parus  228 

pensilis  229 

pensylvanica  226 

peregrina  219 

Philadelphia  237 

pinus  231 

protonotarius  213 

pusilla  222 

rara  225 


Index. 


285 


Sylvia  rathbonia  222 
regulus  257 
rubricapilla  218 
ruficapiUa  218 
sialis  265 
solitaria  216 
striata  227 
swainsonii  214 
tigrina  221 
trichas  238 
trochilus  222 
troglodytes  250 
varia  212 
vermivora  214 
vigorsii  231 
virens  230 
wilsonii  240 
Sylvicola  aestiva  222 

agilis  236 

americana  220 

auricollis  213 

blackburniae  228 

caerulea  225 

canadensis  222 

castanea  227 

coerulea  225 

coronata  223 

discolor  232 

formosa  235 

icterocephala  226 

kirtlandi  231 

maculosa  224 

maritima  221 

missouriensis  219 

palmanim  232 

parus  228 

pensilis  229 

petechia  232 

pinus  231 

striata  227 

varia  212 

virens  230 
Symphemia  semipalmata  72 

inornata  72 
Syrnium  cinereum  107 

lapponicum  v.  cinereum  107 

nebulosum  107 

varium  107 

Tachycineta  bicolor  203 


Tanager,  Scarlet  199 

Summer  200 
Tanagra  aestiva  200 
cyanea  196 
rubra  199 
Tantalus  albus  49 

falcinellus  50 
guarauna  50 
loculator  51 
Tattler,  Bartram's  73 

Semipalmated  72 
Wood  72 
Teacher  233 
Teal,  Blue-winged  34 
Cinnamon  35 
Green-winged  34 
Red-breasted  35 
Teeter-tail  74 
Tell-tale  71 

Lesser  72 
Telmatodytes  palustris  251 

iliacus  251 
Tern,  Black  27 
Caspian  26 
Common  26 
Forster's  26 
Havell's  26 
Least  27 
Short-tailed  27 
Wilson's  26 
Tetrao  cupido  81 

umbellus  79 
virginianus  78 
Thistle-bird  169 
Thrasher,  Brown  246 
Thrush,  Alice's  261 

Bicknell's  262 
Brown  246 
Golden-crowned  233 
Gray-cheeked  261 
Hermit  263 
Olive-backed  262 
Swainson's  262 
Tawny  260 
Water  233 
Willow  260 
Wilson's  260 
Wood  259 

Thryomanes  bewickii  248 
Thryothorus  bewickii  248 


286 


Trans,  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 


Thryothorus  ludovicianus  247 
Thunder  Pump  51 
Tinnunculus  sparverius  103 
Tip-up  72,  74 
Tit,  Crested  255 
Tufted  255 
Titlark  243 
Titmouse,  Tufted  255 
Tetanus  bartramius  73 
chloropygius  72 
flavipes  72 
macularius  74 
melanoleucus  71 
semipalmatus  72 
solitarius  72 
vociferus  71 
Towhee  193 
Toxostoma  rufum  246 
Trichas  agilis  236 

formosa  235 

marylandica  238 

personatus  238 

philadelphica^237 
Tringa  alpina  pacifica*69 

arenaria  70 

auduboni  66 

bairdii  68 

bartramia  73 

bonapartei  68 

canutus  67 

cinclus  69 

cinerea  67 

douglasii  66 

fulicaria  62 

fuscicollis  68 

hiaticula  77 

himantopus  66 

hyperborea  62 

interpres  78 

islandica  67 

lobata  62 

longicauda  73 

macularia  74 

maculata  67 

maritima  67 
I  minutilla  69 

pectoralis  67 

pusilla  69 

rufa  67 

rufescens  73 


Tringa  semipalmata  69 
shinzii  68 
solitaria  72 
squatarola  76 
subruficollis  73 
wilsonii  69 

Tringoides  macularius  74 
Trochilus  colubris  134 
Troglodytes  aedon  248 

aztecus  248 
americanus  248 
bewickii  248 
brevirostris  251 
domesticus  248' 
europeus  250 
fulvus  248 
hiemalis  250 
ludovicianus  247 
palustris  251 
parvulus  hyemalis  250 
Tryngites  rufescens  73 

subruficollis  73 
Turdus  aliciae  261 

bicknelli  262 
aonalaschkae  pallasii  263 
aquaticus  233 
aurocapillus  233 
carolinus  162 
fuscescens  260 

salicicolus  260 
lividus  245 
ludovicianus  235 
melodus  259 
migratorius  264 
minor  263 
mustelinus  259 
noveboracensis  233 
pallasii  263 
polyglottus  244 
rufus  246 
solitarius  263 
swainsonii  262 

aliciae  261 
ustulatus  aliciae  261 

swainsonii  262 
wilsonii  260 
Turkey,  Colorado  51 

Wild  83 

Turnstone,  Ruddy  78 
Tympanuchus  americanus  81 


Index. 


287 


Tympanuchus  pallidicinctus  82 
Tyrannula  flaviventris  140 
minima  142 
nunciola  137 
virens  139 

Tyrannus  acadicus  140 
borealis  138 
carolinensis  135 
crinitus  137 
forficatus  135 
fuscus  137 
trailli  141 
tyrannus  135 
verticalis  136 

Ulula  acadica  108 

brachyotus  106 
flammea  105 
nebulosa  107 
otus  105 
virginiana  110 
Urinator  arcticus  23 
immer  22 
lumme  23 

Veery260 
Vermivora  celata  218 

chrysoptera  217 
pennsylvanica  214 
peregrina  219 
protonotarius  213 
rubricapilla  218 
solitaria  216 
Vireo  bellii  211 

Bell's  211 

Blue-headed  210 

Brotherlylove  208 

flavifrons  210 

gilvus209 

noveboracensis  211 

olivaceus  208 

Philadelphia  208 

philadelphicus  208 

Red-eyed  208 

solitarirus  210 

Solitary  210 

sphagnosa  222 

Warbling  209 

White-eyed  211 

Yellow-throated  210 


Vireosylva  gilva  209 

olivacea  208 
Philadelphia  208 
Vireosylvia  gilva  209 

olivacea  208 
philadelphica  208 
Vultur  atratus  87 
aura  86 
iota  87 
Vulture,  Black  87 

Red-headed  86 
Turkey  86 

Walloon  22 

Warbler,  Bachman's  215 

Bay-breasted  227 
Black  and  White  212 
Black  and  Yellow  224 
Blackburnian  228 
Black-capped  240 
Black-poll  227 
Black-throated  Blue  222 

Green  230 
Blue  225 
Blue-eyed  222 
Blue-winged  216 
Brewster's  216 
Canada  241 

Fly-catching  241 
Cape  May  221 
Cerulean  225 
Chestnut-sided  226 
Connecticut  236 
Creeping,  Black  and  White  212 
Golden-winged  217 
Hooded  240 
Kentucky  235 
Kirtland's  231 
Magnolia  224 
Mourning  237 
Myrtle  223 
Nashville  218 
Orange-crowned  218 
Palm  232 
Parula  220 

Northern  220 

Western  220 
Pileolated  241 
Pine  231 
Pine-creeping  231 


288 


Trans.  Acad.  Sci.  of  St.  Louis. 


Warbler,  Prairie  232 

Prothonotary  213 
Swainson's  214 
Swamp,  Golden  213 

Worm-eating  214 
Sycamore  229 
Tennessee  219 
Wilson's  240 
Worm-eating  214 
Yellow  222 

Blue-winged  216 
Yellow-crowned  226 
Yellow-rumped  223 
Warrior,  Black  96 
Waterhen  61 
Water  Thrush  233 

Grinnell's  233 
Large-billed  235 
Louisiana  235 
Small-billed  233 
Water  Turkey  27,  51 
Water-witch  22 
Wax-wing,  Bohemian  205 

Cedar  205 
Whip-poor-will  128 

NuttalTs  129 
Whistler  39 
Whistle-whig  39 
White-back  37 
White-belly  203 
Widgeon  33 

American  33 
Willet  72 

Western  72 

Wilsonia  canadensis  241 
mitrata  240 
pusilla  240 

pileolata  241 
Woodcock,  American  64 

Black  123 
Woodpecker,  Downy  120 

Golden-winged  126 
Hairy  119 

Southern  120 
Ivory-billed  119 
Pigeon  126 


Woodpecker,  Pileated,  Northern  123 
Southern  123 
Red-bellied  126 
Red-cockated  121 
Red-headed  124 
White-billed  119 
Yellow-bellied  122 
Yellow-shafted  126 
Yellow-winged  126 
Wood  Pewee  139 
Wren,  Bewick's  248 
Carolina  247 
House  248 

Long-tailed  248 
Western  248 
Marsh,  Prairie  251 

Short-billed  251 
Winter  250 

Xanthocephalus  icterocephalus  154 

xanthocephalus  154 
Xema  sabinii  25 

Yellow-back,  Blue  220 
Yellowbird  222 
Yellow-hammer  126 
Yellow-legs  72 

Greater  71 
Yellow-rump  223 
Yellowshanks,  Greater  71 

Lesser  72 

Yellow-throat,  Maryland  238 
Northern  238 
Yphantes  baltimore  161 

Zamelodia  ludoviciana  195 
Zenaidura  carolinensis  85 

macroura  85 
Zonotrichia  albicollis  183 

graminea  175 

iliaca  192 

leucophrys  182 

lincolni  191 

palustris  191 

pensylvanica  183 

querula  180 


Issued  November  16,  1907. 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

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LIBRARY,  UNIVERSIT> 

I 


N°  458827 


Widmann,  0. 

A  preliminary  catalog 
of  the  birds  of  Missouri 


QL68U 
*£5 

W5 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


